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Paul Speaks to Agrippa

23 So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in. 24 Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are here, this is the man whose death is demanded by all the Jews, both here and in Jerusalem. 25 But in my opinion he has done nothing deserving death. However, since he appealed his case to the emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.

26 “But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no clear charge against him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write. 27 For it makes no sense to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!”

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.”

So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense: “I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!

“As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem. If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion. Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors. In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope! Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?

“I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene.[a] 10 Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers[b] there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. 11 Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus.[c] I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities.

12 “One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. 13 About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. 14 We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,[d] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.[e]

15 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future. 17 And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’

19 “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. 20 I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do. 21 Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22 But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”

Footnotes

  1. 26:9 Or Jesus of Nazareth.
  2. 26:10 Greek many of God’s holy people.
  3. 26:11 Greek to blaspheme.
  4. 26:14a Or Hebrew.
  5. 26:14b Greek It is hard for you to kick against the oxgoads.

23 So oun on the ho next epaurion day when Agrippa Agrippas and kai Bernice Bernikē came erchomai · ho · ho with meta great polys pomp phantasia and kai entered eiserchomai eis the ho audience akroatērion hall along syn with the commanding chiliarchos officers and kai the ho prominent exochē men anēr of the ho city polis, and kai when Festus Phēstos had given keleuō the order , · ho Paul Paulos was brought agō in . · ho 24 And kai Festus Phēstos said phēmi, · ho King basileus Agrippa Agrippas, and kai all pas · ho men anēr present sympareimi with us hēmeis, you see theōreō this houtos man about peri whom hos the ho whole hapas Jewish Ioudaios people plēthos · ho petitioned entynchanō me egō, both te in en Jerusalem Hierosolyma and kai here enthade, crying boaō out that he autos ought dei not to live zaō any mēketi longer . 25 But de I egō found katalambanō that he autos had done prassō nothing mēdeis worthy axios of death thanatos; and de since he autos himself houtos appealed epikaleō to the ho emperor sebastos, I decided krinō to send pempō him. 26 But I do echō not ou have echō anything tis definite asphalēs about peri him hos to write graphō to my ho lord kyrios. Therefore dio I have brought proagō him autos before epi you hymeis all, and kai especially malista before epi you sy, King basileus Agrippa Agrippas, so hopōs that , when the ho examination anakrisis has been conducted ginomai, I may have echō something tis to write graphō. 27 For gar it seems dokeō unreasonable alogos to me egō, in sending pempō a prisoner desmios, not to sēmainō also kai report sēmainō the ho charges aitia against kata him autos.”

26 So de Agrippa Agrippas said phēmi to pros · ho Paul Paulos, “ You sy have permission epitrepō to speak legō for peri yourself seautou.” Then tote · ho Paul Paulos stretched ekteinō out his ho hand cheir and began to make his defense apologeomai: Regarding peri all pas the things of which hos I am being accused enkaleō by hypo the Jews Ioudaios, King basileus Agrippa Agrippas, I consider hēgeomai myself emautou fortunate makarios that it is before epi you sy that I am about mellō to make my defense apologeomai today sēmeron, especially malista because eimi you sy are eimi well acquainted gnōstēs with all pas the ho customs ethos and kai controversies zētēma of kata the Jews Ioudaios. Therefore dio I beg deomai you to listen to akouō me egō patiently makrothumōs. All pas the ho Jews Ioudaios know oida · ho my egō manner biōsis of life · ho from ek my youth neotēs, which ho from apo the beginning archē was ginomai spent among en · ho my own egō people ethnos in en Jerusalem Hierosolyma, for they have known proginōskō me egō from the first anōthen, if ean they are willing thelō to go on record martyreō, that hoti I lived zaō as a Pharisee Pharisaios according kata to the ho strictest akribēs party hairesis of ho our hēmeteros religious thrēskeia system . And kai now nyn I stand histēmi here on trial krinō because epi of my hope elpis in the ho promise epangelia made ginomai by hypo God theos to eis · ho our hēmeis fathers patēr, · ho to eis which hos · ho our hēmeis twelve dōdekaphylon tribes hope elpizō to attain katantaō, worshipping latreuō strenuously en ekteneia night nyx and kai day hēmera. It is for peri this hos hope elpis, your Excellency basileus, that I am being accused enkaleō by hypo Jews Ioudaios! Why tis is it thought krinō incredible apistos among para you hymeis that ei · ho God theos raises egeirō the dead nekros? I egō thought dokeō to myself emautou that I ought dei to do prassō many polys deeds hostile enantios to pros the ho name onoma of Jesus Iēsous of ho Nazareth Nazōraios. 10 And I did poieō so hos · kai in en Jerusalem Hierosolyma; · kai not only te did katakleiō I egō lock up katakleiō in en prison phylakē many polys of the ho saints hagios, · ho after receiving lambanō authority exousia from para the ho chief archiereus priests , but also te when they autos were put to death anaireō I cast katapherō my vote psēphos against them. 11 And kai I punished timōreō them autos often pollakis in kata all pas the ho synagogues synagōgē and tried to make anankazō them blaspheme blasphēmeō; and te since I was so perissōs vehemently angry emmainomai at them autos, I pursued diōkō them even heōs · kai to eis · ho foreign exō cities polis.

12  On en one of these hos journeys I was poreuō going to eis · ho Damascus Damaskos with meta authority exousia and kai commission epitropē from ho the ho chief archiereus priests , 13 and at midday hēmera I saw on kata the ho way hodos, O king basileus, a light phōs from heaven ouranothen, brighter than hyper · ho the ho sun hēlios, that shone perilampō around me egō and kai those ho who journeyed poreuō with syn me egō. 14 And te when we hēmeis had all pas fallen katapiptō to eis the ho ground , I heard akouō a voice phōnē saying legō to pros me egō in the ho Hebrew Hebrais language dialektos, ‘ Saul Saoul, Saul Saoul, why tis are you persecuting diōkō me egō? It is hard sklēros for you sy to kick laktizō against pros the goads kentron.’ 15 And de I egō said legō, ‘ Who tis are eimi you , Lord kyrios?’ And de the ho Lord kyrios said legō, ‘ I egō am eimi Jesus Iēsous whom hos you sy are persecuting diōkō. 16 But alla get up anistēmi and kai stand histēmi on epi · ho your sy feet pous; for gar I have appeared horaō to you sy for eis this houtos purpose , to appoint procheirizō you sy a servant hypēretēs and kai witness martys both te to the things in which hos you have seen me egō and te to those in which hos I will appear horaō to you sy. 17 I will rescue exaireō you sy from ek your ho people laos and kai from ek the ho Gentiles ethnos, to eis whom hos I egō am sending apostellō you sy 18 to open anoigō their autos eyes ophthalmos, that ho they may turn epistrephō from apo darkness skotos to eis light phōs, and kai from the ho power exousia of ho Satan Satanas to epi · ho God theos, that ho they autos may receive lambanō forgiveness aphesis of sins hamartia and kai a place klēros among en those ho who are sanctified hagiazō by faith pistis · ho in eis me egō.’ 19 So then hothen, King basileus Agrippa Agrippas, I was ginomai not ou disobedient apeithēs to the ho heavenly ouranios vision optasia, 20 but alla I declared apangellō to those ho in en Damascus Damaskos first prōton, then te also kai to those in Jerusalem Hierosolyma and te through all pas the ho region chōra of ho Judea Ioudaia, and kai to the ho Gentiles ethnos, that they should repent metanoeō and kai turn epistrephō to epi · ho God theos, performing prassō works ergon worthy axios of ho repentance metanoia. 21 It was for that houtos reason that the Jews Ioudaios seized syllambanō me egō in en the ho temple hieron and tried peiraō to kill diacheirizō me. 22 Obtaining tynchanō help epikouria, therefore oun, · ho from apo · ho God theos, until achri · ho this houtos day hēmera I have stood histēmi testifying martyreō both te to small mikros and kai great megas, saying legō nothing oudeis beyond ektos what hos the ho prophets prophētēs and kai Moses Mōysēs said laleō would mellō come ginomai to pass : 23 that ei the ho Christ Christos was to suffer pathētos and, as ei the first prōtos to ek rise anastasis from the dead nekros, he would mellō proclaim katangellō light phōs both te to our ho people laos and kai to the ho Gentiles ethnos.”