Paul
Paul Before King Agrippa
Paul defends himself before King Agrippa and tells of his conversion on the road to Damascus. Festus cries out that Paul is mad, but Agrippa replies: "With so little you will persuade me to become a Christian!" The king states that Paul could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.
Actes 26,1-32
1Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
Ἀγρίππας δὲ πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον ἔφη· Ἐπιτρέπεταί σοι ⸀ὑπὲρ σεαυτοῦ λέγειν. τότε ὁ Παῦλος ⸂ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἀπελογεῖτο⸃·
2"King Agrippa, I count myself fortunate that today I am to stand before you and make my defense concerning all the charges the Jews bring against me,
Περὶ πάντων ὧν ἐγκαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, ἥγημαι ἐμαυτὸν μακάριον ἐπὶ σοῦ μέλλων ⸂σήμερον ἀπολογεῖσθαι⸃,
3especially since you are so well acquainted with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. I ask you, therefore, to hear me patiently.
μάλιστα γνώστην ὄντα σε πάντων τῶν κατὰ Ἰουδαίους ⸀ἐθῶν τε καὶ ζητημάτων· διὸ ⸀δέομαι μακροθύμως ἀκοῦσαί μου.
4All the Jews know the way I have lived from my youth, from the very beginning, both among my own people and in Jerusalem.
Τὴν μὲν οὖν βίωσίν μου ⸀τὴν ἐκ νεότητος τὴν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς γενομένην ἐν τῷ ἔθνει μου ἔν ⸀τε Ἱεροσολύμοις ἴσασι ⸀πάντες Ἰουδαῖοι,
5They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, according to the strictest party of our religion.
προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν, ἐὰν θέλωσι μαρτυρεῖν, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην αἵρεσιν τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας ἔζησα Φαρισαῖος.
6And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our fathers—
καὶ νῦν ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι τῆς ⸀εἰς τοὺς πατέρας ⸀ἡμῶν ἐπαγγελίας γενομένης ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἕστηκα κρινόμενος,
7the promise our twelve tribes hope to attain as they worship earnestly night and day. It is for this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.
εἰς ἣν τὸ δωδεκάφυλον ἡμῶν ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν λατρεῦον ἐλπίζει καταντῆσαι· περὶ ἧς ἐλπίδος ἐγκαλοῦμαι ⸂ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων, βασιλεῦ⸃·
8Why should any of you think it incredible that God raises the dead?
τί ἄπιστον κρίνεται παρʼ ὑμῖν εἰ ὁ θεὸς νεκροὺς ἐγείρει;
9I myself was convinced that I ought to do everything possible against the name of Jesus of Nazareth,
Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἔδοξα ἐμαυτῷ πρὸς τὸ ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου δεῖν πολλὰ ἐναντία πρᾶξαι·
10and that is what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I locked up many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.
ὃ καὶ ἐποίησα ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, καὶ πολλούς ⸀τε τῶν ἁγίων ἐγὼ ⸀ἐν φυλακαῖς κατέκλεισα τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων ἐξουσίαν λαβών, ἀναιρουμένων τε αὐτῶν κατήνεγκα ψῆφον,
11Again and again I punished them in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. In my raging fury against them I even pursued them to cities abroad.
καὶ κατὰ πάσας τὰς συναγωγὰς πολλάκις τιμωρῶν αὐτοὺς ἠνάγκαζον βλασφημεῖν, περισσῶς τε ἐμμαινόμενος αὐτοῖς ἐδίωκον ἕως καὶ εἰς τὰς ἔξω πόλεις.
12On one such journey I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
Ἐν ⸀οἷς πορευόμενος εἰς τὴν Δαμασκὸν μετʼ ἐξουσίας καὶ ἐπιτροπῆς ⸀τῆς τῶν ἀρχιερέων
13About midday, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions.
ἡμέρας μέσης κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν εἶδον, βασιλεῦ, οὐρανόθεν ὑπὲρ τὴν λαμπρότητα τοῦ ἡλίου περιλάμψαν με φῶς καὶ τοὺς σὺν ἐμοὶ πορευομένους·
14It is hard for you to kick against the goads." [Footnote: A goad was a sharp-pointed stick used to drive oxen; the saying pictures the futility of resisting.]
πάντων ⸀τε καταπεσόντων ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἤκουσα φωνὴν ⸀λέγουσαν πρός ⸀με τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ· Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις; σκληρόν σοι πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν.
15I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπα· Τίς εἶ, κύριε; ὁ δὲ ⸀κύριος εἶπεν· Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὃν σὺ διώκεις·
16But get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen of me and of what I will show you.
ἀλλὰ ἀνάστηθι καὶ στῆθι ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας σου· εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ὤφθην σοι, προχειρίσασθαί σε ὑπηρέτην καὶ μάρτυρα ὧν τε εἶδές ⸀με ὧν τε ὀφθήσομαί σοι,
17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
ἐξαιρούμενός σε ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ⸀ἐκ τῶν ἐθνῶν, εἰς οὓς ἐγὼ ⸂ἀποστέλλω σε⸃
18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by faith in me.'
ἀνοῖξαι ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν, τοῦ ⸀ἐπιστρέψαι ἀπὸ σκότους εἰς φῶς καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, τοῦ λαβεῖν αὐτοὺς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ κλῆρον ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις πίστει τῇ εἰς ἐμέ.
19And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
Ὅθεν, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, οὐκ ἐγενόμην ἀπειθὴς τῇ οὐρανίῳ ὀπτασίᾳ,
20Instead, I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the whole region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐν Δαμασκῷ πρῶτόν ⸀τε καὶ Ἱεροσολύμοις, ⸀πᾶσάν τε τὴν χώραν τῆς Ἰουδαίας, καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ⸀ἀπήγγελλον μετανοεῖν καὶ ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, ἄξια τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα πράσσοντας.
21That is why the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
ἕνεκα τούτων ⸂με Ἰουδαῖοι⸃ ⸀συλλαβόμενοι ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἐπειρῶντο διαχειρίσασθαι.
22But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike, saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
ἐπικουρίας οὖν τυχὼν τῆς ⸀ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης ἕστηκα μαρτυρόμενος μικρῷ τε καὶ μεγάλῳ, οὐδὲν ἐκτὸς λέγων ὧν τε οἱ προφῆται ἐλάλησαν μελλόντων γίνεσθαι καὶ Μωϋσῆς,
23that the Christ must suffer, and that as the first to rise from the dead he would proclaim light both to the people of Israel and to the Gentiles."
εἰ παθητὸς ὁ χριστός, εἰ πρῶτος ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν φῶς μέλλει καταγγέλλειν τῷ ⸀τε λαῷ καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν.
24While Paul was making this defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane."
Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀπολογουμένου ὁ Φῆστος μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ ⸀φησιν· Μαίνῃ, Παῦλε· τὰ πολλά σε γράμματα εἰς μανίαν περιτρέπει.
25"I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and sensible.
ὁ δὲ ⸀Παῦλος· Οὐ μαίνομαι, φησίν, κράτιστε Φῆστε, ἀλλὰ ἀληθείας καὶ σωφροσύνης ῥήματα ἀποφθέγγομαι.
26The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in some corner.
ἐπίσταται γὰρ περὶ τούτων ὁ βασιλεύς, πρὸς ὃν ⸀καὶ παρρησιαζόμενος λαλῶ· λανθάνειν γὰρ ⸀αὐτὸν τούτων οὐ πείθομαι ⸀οὐθέν, οὐ γάρ ⸀ἐστιν ἐν γωνίᾳ πεπραγμένον τοῦτο.
27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do."
πιστεύεις, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, τοῖς προφήταις; οἶδα ὅτι πιστεύεις.
28Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think you can make me a Christian in such a short time?"
ὁ δὲ Ἀγρίππας πρὸς τὸν ⸀Παῦλον· Ἐν ὀλίγῳ με πείθεις Χριστιανὸν ⸀ποιῆσαι.
29Paul answered, "Short time or long, I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today might become what I am—except for these chains."
ὁ δὲ ⸀Παῦλος· Εὐξαίμην ἂν τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐν ὀλίγῳ καὶ ἐν ⸀μεγάλῳ οὐ μόνον σὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντάς μου σήμερον γενέσθαι τοιούτους ὁποῖος καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι παρεκτὸς τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων.
30The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those seated with them.
⸀Ἀνέστη ⸀τε ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ ἡγεμὼν ἥ τε Βερνίκη καὶ οἱ συγκαθήμενοι αὐτοῖς,
31As they withdrew, they said to one another, "This man has done nothing deserving death or imprisonment."
καὶ ἀναχωρήσαντες ἐλάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγοντες ὅτι Οὐδὲν θανάτου ⸂ἢ δεσμῶν ἄξιον⸃ ⸀τι πράσσει ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος.
32And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."
Ἀγρίππας δὲ τῷ Φήστῳ ἔφη· Ἀπολελύσθαι ἐδύνατο ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος εἰ μὴ ἐπεκέκλητο Καίσαρα.