Actuum Apostolorum 26
1 Agrippa vero ad Paulum ait: Permittitur tibi loqui pro temetipso. Tunc Paulus extenta manu cœpit rationem reddere.
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Yoʋ have permission to speak for yoʋrself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began to make his defense:
2 De omnibus, quibus accusor a Iudæis, rex Agrippa, æstimo me beatum, apud te cum sim defensurus me hodie,
“I consider myself fortunate that it is before yoʋ, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense today concerning all the things of which I am being accused by the Jews,
3 maxime te sciente omnia, et quæ apud Iudæos sunt consuetudines, et quæstiones: propter quod obsecro patienter me audias.
especially since yoʋ are acquainted with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg yoʋ to listen to me patiently.
4 Et quidem vitam meam a iuventute, quæ ab initio fuit in gente mea in Ierosolymis, noverunt omnes Iudæi:
“All the Jews know about my manner of life from my youth up, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem.
5 præscientes me ab initio (si velint testimonium perhibere) quoniam secundum certissimam sectam nostræ religionis vixi Pharisæus.
They have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.
6 Et nunc in spe, quæ ad patres nostros repromissionis facta est a Deo, sto iudicio subiectus:
And now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our fathers,
7 in quam duodecim tribus nostræ nocte ac die deservientes, sperant devenire. De qua spe accusor a Iudæis, rex.
a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve him night and day. Regarding this hope, King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews.
8 Quid incredibile iudicatur apud vos, si Deus mortuos suscitat?
Why is it deemed unbelievable by you that God raises the dead?
9 Et ego quidem existimaveram, me adversus nomen Iesu Nazareni debere multa contraria agere.
“Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 Quod et feci Ierosolymis, et multos sanctorum ego in carceribus inclusi, a principibus sacerdotum potestate accepta: et cum occiderentur, detuli sententiam.
And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. I locked up many of the saints in prison by the authority I received from the chief priests, and when they were being put to death, I cast my vote against them.
11 Et per omnes synagogas frequenter puniens eos, compellebam blasphemare: et amplius insaniens in eos, persequebar usque in exteras civitates.
I also punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. And being furiously enraged against them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
12 In quibus dum irem Damascum cum potestate, et permissu principum sacerdotum,
“While engaged in such things, I was on my way to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 die media in via, vidi, rex, de cælo supra splendorem solis circumfulsisse me lumen, et eos, qui mecum simul erant.
when at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were traveling with me.
14 Omnesque nos cum decidissemus in terram, audivi vocem loquentem mihi Hebraica lingua: Saule, Saule, quid me persequeris? Durum est tibi contra stimulum calcitrare.
When we had all fallen down to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are yoʋ persecuting me? It is hard for yoʋ to kick against the goads.’
15 Ego autem dixi: Quis es Domine? Dominus autem dixit: Ego sum Iesus, quem tu persequeris.
I said, ‘Who are yoʋ, Lord?’ He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom yoʋ are persecuting.
16 Sed exurge, et sta super pedes tuos: ad hoc enim apparui tibi, ut constituam te ministrum, et testem eorum, quæ vidisti, et eorum, quibus apparebo tibi,
But rise and stand on yoʋr feet, for I have appeared to yoʋ for this purpose, to appoint yoʋ as a servant and witness to the things yoʋ have seen and to the things in which I will appear to yoʋ.
17 eripiens te de populo, et gentibus, in quas nunc ego mitto te,
I will rescue yoʋ from yoʋr own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending yoʋ
18 aperire oculos eorum, ut convertantur a tenebris ad lucem, et de potestate Satanæ ad Deum, ut accipiant remissionem peccatorum, et sortem inter sanctos per fidem, quæ est in me.
to open their eyes so that they may turn away from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an allotment among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.’
19 Unde rex Agrippa, non fui incredulus cælesti visioni:
“Consequently, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 sed his, qui sunt Damasci primum, et Ierosolymis, et in omnem regionem Iudææ, et Gentibus annunciabam, ut pœnitentiam agerent, et converterentur ad Deum, digna pœnitentiæ opera facientes.
but first to those in Damascus and then to those in Jerusalem, to all the region of Judea and to the Gentiles, I proclaimed that they should repent and turn to God, doing works consistent with repentance.
21 Hac ex causa me Iudæi, cum essem in templo, comprehensum tentabant interficere.
That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and were trying to kill me.
22 Auxilio autem adiutus Dei usque in hodiernum diem sto, testificans minori, atque maiori, nihil extra dicens quam ea, quæ Prophetæ locuti sunt futura esse, et Moyses,
But having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what the Prophets and Moses said would take place:
23 si passibilis Christus, si primus ex resurrectione mortuorum, lumen annunciaturus est populo, et gentibus.
that the Christ would suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24 Hæc loquente eo, et rationem reddente, Festus magna voce dixit: Insanis Paule: multæ te litteræ ad insaniam convertunt.
As Paul was saying these things in his own defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Yoʋ are out of yoʋr mind, Paul. Too much learning is driving yoʋ insane!”
25 Et Paulus: Non insanio (inquit) optime Feste, sed veritatis, et sobrietatis verba loquor.
But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking words of truth and good sense.
26 Scit enim de his rex, ad quem et constanter loquor: latere enim eum nihil horum arbitror. Neque enim in angulo quidquam horum gestum est.
For the king knows about these things, to whom I am speaking boldly. I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice at all, for this has not been done in a corner.
27 Credis rex Agrippa prophetis? Scio quia credis.
Do yoʋ believe the Prophets, King Agrippa? I know that yoʋ believe.”
28 Agrippa autem ad Paulum: In modico suades me Christianum fieri.
Agrippa said to Paul, “Do yoʋ think yoʋ can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”
29 Et Paulus: Opto apud Deum, et in modico, et in magno, non tantum te, sed etiam omnes, qui audiunt, hodie fieri tales, qualis et ego sum, exceptis vinculis his.
Paul said, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only yoʋ but also all who are listening to me today would become as I am, except for these chains.”
30 Et exurrexit rex, et præses, et Bernice, et qui assidebant eis.
After Paul said these things, the king stood up, along with the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with them.
31 Et cum secessissent, loquebantur ad invicem, dicentes: Quia nihil morte, aut vinculis dignum quid fecit homo iste.
After leaving the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or imprisonment.”
32 Agrippa autem Festo dixit: Dimitti poterat homo hic, si non appellasset Cæsarem.
And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
