27ABSURD FOR TO ME IT SEEMS [IN] SENDING A PRISONER NOT ALSO THE AGAINST HIM CHARGES TO SPECIFY. 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him. ”
1AGRIPPA THEN TO <THE> PAUL WAS SAYING; IT IS PERMITTED YOU FOR YOURSELF TO SPEAK. THEN <THE> PAUL HAVING STRETCHED OUT THE HAND WAS PRESENTING A DEFENSE: Paul’s Testimony to Agrippa (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 22:1–21) 1Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself. ” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
2CONCERNING ALL OF WHICH I AM ACCUSED BY [THE] JEWS, KING AGRIPPA, I HAVE ESTEEMED MYSELF FORTUNATE BEFORE YOU BEING ABOUT TODAY TO PRESENT A DEFENSE; 2“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,
3ESPECIALLY ACQUAINTED BEING YOU WITH ALL THE OF [THE] JEWS CUSTOMS AND ALSO CONTROVERSIES. THEREFORE I IMPLORE YOU PATIENTLY TO HEAR ME. 3especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.
4THE INDEED THEN MANNER OF LIFE OF MINE WHICH [IS] FROM YOUTH <THE> FROM [ITS] BEGINNING HAVING BEEN AMONG THE NATION OF MINE IN ALSO JERUSALEM KNOW ALL THE JEWS 4Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from my earliest childhood among my own people, and also in Jerusalem.
5KNOWING ME FROM THE FIRST, IF THEY MAY BE WILLING TO TESTIFY THAT ACCORDING TO THE STRICTEST SECT <THE> OF OUR OWN RELIGION I LIVED [AS] A PHARISEE; 5They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
6AND NOW FOR [THE] HOPE OF THE TO THE FATHERS OF US PROMISE HAVING BEEN MADE BY <THE> GOD I HAVE STOOD BEING JUDGED, 6And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,
7TO WHICH THE TWELVE TRIBES OF US IN EARNESTNESS NIGHT AND DAY SERVING THEY HOPE TO ATTAIN, CONCERNING WHICH HOPE I AM ACCUSED AGRIPPA BY THE JEWS, O KING, 7the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God. day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.
8WHY INCREDIBLE IS IT JUDGED BY YOU IF <THE> GOD [THE] DEAD RAISES? 8Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9I MYSELF INDEED THEREFORE THOUGHT IN MYSELF TO THE NAME OF JESUS <THE> OF NAZARETH NEEDING MANY THINGS CONTRARY TO DO, 9So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10WHICH ALSO I DID IN JERUSALEM AND MANY ALSO OF THE SAINTS I MYSELF IN PRISONS LOCKED UP THE FROM THE CHIEF PRIESTS AUTHORITY HAVING RECEIVED, WHEN WERE BEING EXECUTED THEN THEY I CAST AGAINST [THEM] A VOTE; 10And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.
11AND IN ALL THE SYNAGOGUES OFTEN PUNISHING THEM I WAS COMPELLING [THEM] TO BLASPHEME, EXCESSIVELY THEN BEING FURIOUS AGAINST THEM I WAS PERSECUTING [THEM] AS FAR AS EVEN TO <THE> FOREIGN CITIES. 11I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
12DURING WHICH AND JOURNEYING TO <THE> DAMASCUS WITH [THE] AUTHORITY AND COMMISSION WHICH [IS] FROM THE CHIEF PRIESTS 12In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
13AT DAY MID ON THE ROAD I SAW, O KING, FROM HEAVEN ABOVE THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SUN HAVING SHONE AROUND ME A LIGHT AND THOSE WITH ME MYSELF JOURNEYING. 13About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
14ALL AND WHEN WERE FALLING DOWN WE TO THE GROUND I HEARD A VOICE SAYING TO ME AND SAYING IN THE HEBREW LANGUAGE; SAUL SAUL, WHY ME PERSECUTE YOU? [IT IS] HARD FOR YOU AGAINST [THE] GOADS TO KICK. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew,*NoteCloseOr in Aramaic; literally in the Hebrew language ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. ’
15I MYSELF THEN SAID; WHO ARE YOU LORD? <THE> AND THE LORD SAID; I MYSELF AM JESUS WHOM YOU YOURSELF ARE PERSECUTING. 15‘Who are You, Lord? ’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, ’ the Lord replied.
16BUT DO RISE UP AND DO STAND ON THE FEET OF YOU; TO THIS [PURPOSE] FOR I HAVE APPEARED TO YOU TO APPOINT YOU A SERVANT AND A WITNESS OF THAT WHICH BOTH YOU HAVE SEEN OF ME OF THE THINGS IN WHICH THEN I WILL APPEAR TO YOU, 16‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.
17DELIVERING YOU OUT FROM THE PEOPLE AND FROM THE GENTILES, TO WHOM I MYSELF AM SENDING YOU 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
18TO OPEN EYES OF THEM, THAT TO TURN FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT AND FROM THE POWER <THE> OF SATAN TO <THE> GOD, [THAT] TO RECEIVE THEY FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND [AN] INHERITANCE AMONG THOSE SANCTIFIED BY FAITH WHICH [IS] IN ME MYSELF. 18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me. ’
19SO THEN, O KING AGRIPPA, NOT I WAS DISOBEDIENT TO THE HEAVENLY VISION, 19So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
20BUT TO THOSE IN DAMASCUS FIRST BOTH ALSO IN JERUSALEM INTO ALL BOTH THE REGION <THE> OF JUDEA, AND TO THE GENTILES I WAS DECLARING TO REPENT AND TO TURN TO <THE> GOD WORTHY <THE> OF REPENTANCE WORKS DOING. 20First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
21ON ACCOUNT OF THESE THINGS ME THE JEWS HAVING SEIZED BEING IN THE TEMPLE THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO KILL. 21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts*NoteCloseLiterally the temple and tried to kill me.
22HELP THEREFORE HAVING OBTAINED <THE> FROM <THE> GOD UNTO <THE> DAY THIS I HAVE STOOD BEARING WITNESS TO SMALL BOTH AND TO GREAT, NO [THING] OTHER SAYING THAN WHAT BOTH THE PROPHETS SAID WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN AND MOSES, 22But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
23THAT WOULD SUFFER THE CHRIST, AS FIRST THROUGH RESURRECTION FROM [THE] DEAD LIGHT HE IS ABOUT TO PREACH <THE> TO BOTH OUR PEOPLE AND TO THE GENTILES. 23that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles. ”
24THESE THINGS NOW WHEN HE IS PRESENTING A DEFENSE <THE> FESTUS IN A LOUD <THE> VOICE SAID; YOU ARE INSANE PAUL! THE GREAT OF YOU LEARNING TO INSANITY TURNS [YOU]! Festus Interrupts Paul’s Defense 24At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness! ”
25<THE> BUT PAUL; NOT I AM INSANE SAYS MOST EXCELLENT FESTUS, BUT OF TRUTH AND SOBRIETY DECLARATIONS I UTTER. 25But Paul answered “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.
26UNDERSTANDS FOR CONCERNING THESE THINGS THE KING TO WHOM ALSO USING BOLDNESS I SPEAK; HIDING FOR HIM ANY OF THESE THINGS NOT I AM PERSUADED NO [THING]; NOT FOR IS IN A CORNER DONE OF THESE THINGS. 26For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.
27BELIEVE YOU, KING AGRIPPA, IN THE PROPHETS? I KNOW THAT YOU BELIEVE. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do. ”
28<THE> THEN AGRIPPA TO <THE> PAUL WAS SAYING: WITHIN SO LITTLE [TIME] ME YOU [SEEK TO] PERSUADE A CHRISTIAN TO BECOME! 28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian? ”
29<THE> AND PAUL SAID; I WOULD WISH MAY <THE> GOD BOTH IN A LITTLE AND IN MUCH NOT ONLY YOU BUT ALSO ALL THOSE HEARING ME THIS DAY TO BECOME SUCH AS ALSO I MYSELF AM EXCEPT <THE> CHAINS THESE. 29“Short time or long, ” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains. ”
30AND THESE THINGS WHEN WAS SPEAKING HE ROSE UP THEN THE KING AND THE GOVERNOR <THE> AND BERNICE AND THOSE SITTING WITH THEM; 30Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.
31AND HAVING WITHDRAWN THEY WERE SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER SAYING THAT NO [THING] OF DEATH OR OF CHAINS WORTHY ANY IS DOING <THE> MAN THIS. 31On their way out, they said to one another “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment. ”
32AGRIPPA THEN <THE> TO FESTUS WAS SAYING; TO HAVE BEEN RELEASED WAS ABLE <THE> MAN THIS, ONLY UNLESS HE HAD APPEALED TO CAESAR. 32And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar. ”