Acts 26
English Standard Version
Paul's Defense Before Agrippa
26 So (A)Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today (B)against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the (C)customs and (D)controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 (E)“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among (F)my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that (G)according to the strictest (H)party of our (I)religion I have lived as (J)a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in (K)the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 (L)to which (M)our twelve tribes hope to (N)attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope (O)I am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought (P)incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
9 (Q)“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of (R)Jesus of Nazareth. 10 (S)And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority (T)from the chief priests, but (U)when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And (V)I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them (W)blaspheme, and (X)in raging fury against them I (Y)persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
12 “In this connection (Z)I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me (AA)in the Hebrew language,[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and (AB)stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, (AC)to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 (AD)delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—(AE)to whom I (AF)am sending you 18 (AG)to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from (AH)the power of Satan to God, that they may receive (AI)forgiveness of sins and (AJ)a place among those who are sanctified (AK)by faith in me.’
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to (AL)the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first (AM)to those in Damascus, (AN)then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also (AO)to the Gentiles, that they should (AP)repent and (AQ)turn to God, performing deeds (AR)in keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason (AS)the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 (AT)To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so (AU)I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what (AV)the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 (AW)that the Christ (AX)must suffer and that, (AY)by being the first (AZ)to rise from the dead, (BA)he would proclaim (BB)light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, (BC)you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, (BD)most excellent Festus, but I am speaking (BE)true and (BF)rational words. 26 For (BG)the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be (BH)a Christian?”[b] 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day (BI)might become such as I am—except for (BJ)these chains.”
30 Then the king rose, and (BK)the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, (BL)“This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, (BM)“This man could have been set (BN)free if he had not appealed (BO)to Caesar.”
Footnotes
- Acts 26:14 Or the Hebrew dialect (probably Aramaic)
- Acts 26:28 Or In a short time you would persuade me to act like a Christian!
Gevurot 26
Orthodox Jewish Bible
26 And Agrippa said to Rav Sha’ul, "It is permitted for you to speak concerning yourself." Then Rav Sha’ul, having stretched out his hand, was making his hitstaddekut (defense), saying,
2 "I have considered myself fortunate that it is before you, Agrippa HaMelech, that I am able to make my hitstaddekut today concerning everything of which I am accused by Yehudim.
3 "Most of all, you are a bukki (expert, meivin) in all the minhagim and issues of the Yehudim; therefore, I beg you to listen patiently to me.
4 "All the Yehudim have da’as of my Yiddishkeit from my earliest youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Yerushalayim.
5 "They have had da’as of this for a long time, if they are willing to bear edut, that according to the most machmir kat of our Orthodox Jewish faith my life has been lived out as a Parush.
6 "And now I stand here on trial on account of my tikvah in the havtacha made to Avoteinu,
7 "A havtacha Sheneym Asar Shevateinu have tikvah to attain, as they with earnestness worship Hashem yomam valailah. It if for this tikvah, your Excellency, that I am accused by Yehudim!
8 "Why is it considered incredible by any of you that Hashem makes the Mesim to stand up alive?
9 "Indeed, I myself thought it necessary to do many opposing things against ha-Shem of Yehoshua from Natzeret.
10 "And this I also did in Yerushalayim; and armed with samchut received from the Rashei Hakohanim, many of the kadoshim I locked up in the beis hasohar; and I cast my vote keneged (against) them when they received the death penalty.
11 "And throughout all the shuls I often punished them, forcing them to commit Chillul Hashem gidduf (blasphemy), and since I was so enraged against them, I was bringing redifah on them even as far as foreign cities.
12 "This it was, that as I was traveling to Damascus with authorization and permission from the Rashei Hakohanim,
13 "At noon on the derech, O Melech, I saw from Shomayim an ohr, more brilliant than the shemesh, shining around me and around the ones traveling with me.
14 "And we all fell down to the ground. Then I heard a kol saying to me in the language of the Hebrews, ‘Sha’ul, Sha’ul, why are you bringing redifah upon me? It is hard for you to kick keneged (against) the prod.’
15 "And I said, ‘Who are you Adoni?’ And HaAdon said, ‘I am Yehoshua upon whom you are bringing redifah.
16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For this tachlis, then, I appeared to you, to give you s’michah as a mesharet, an eved, and an eidus (witness), both of what things you have seen and the things which I will reveal to you. [Ezek 2:1; Dan 10:11]
17 ‘I will deliver you from your own people and from the Goyim to whom I am sending you, [YIRMEYAH 1:8,19]
18 ‘To open their eyes, to turn them from choshech to ohr and from the samchut of Hasatan to Hashem, that they receive selichat avon and nachalah among the ones having been set apart in kedushah by emunah in me.' [YESHAYAH 35:5; TEHILLIM 18:28; YESHAYAH 42:7,16]
19 "O Agrippa HaMelech, I was not disobedient to the chazon from Shomayim. [YESHAYAH 50:5]
20 "But beginning with the ones in Damascus and also with those in Yerushalayim, and with all the region of Yehudah and with the Goyim, I was preaching they should make teshuva and turn to Hashem, doing ma’asim mitzvot worthy of teshuva. [YIRMEYAH 18:11; 35:15]
21 "Because of these things, the unbelieving Yehudim seized me while I was in the Beis Hamikdash, and were trying to kill me.
22 "To this day I have obtained ezer (help) from Hashem, to stand and give solemn edut (testimony) before both ketanim and Gedolim, testifying about nothing beyond the Orthodox Jewish faith based on what the Nevi’im and Moshe Rabbenu said would happen:
23 "That is, the yissurim (sufferings) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and that by being rishon to stand up alive in the Techiyas HaMoshiach, he would proclaim ohr both to K’lal Yisroel and the Nations."
24 And while he was saying these things in his hitstaddekut, Festus in a kol gadol shouts, "Rav Sha’ul, all your yeshiva learning has made you meshuggah!"
25 But Rav Sha’ul says, "I am not meshuggah, most excellent Festus; I am speaking dvarim of Emes and Ta’am (Reason).
26 "For HaMelech has da’as of these matters, to whom also I am speaking freely, for I am sure that absolutely none of these things escape his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.
27 "Agrippa HaMelech, do you believe in the Nevi’im? I have da’as that you do believe."
28 And Agrippa said to Rav Sha’ul, "You think, do you, that as quick as that you can make me mekabel Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach?"
29 But Rav Sha’ul said, "I would daven that Hashem, quickly or not, might make not only you but all listening to me today as I am, apart from these sharsherot (chains)."
30 HaMelech and the Moshel and Bernice and the ones sitting with them got up.
31 And having withdrawn, they were saying to one another, "This man does nothing worthy of the death penalty or imprisonment."
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released, if he had not appealed to Caesar."
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