prEritAH 26

1 tata AgrippaH paulam avAdIt, nijAM kathAM kathayituM tubhyam anumati rdIyatE| tasmAt paulaH karaM prasAryya svasmin uttaram avAdIt|

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 hE AgripparAja yatkAraNAdahaM yihUdIyairapavAditO 'bhavaM tasya vRttAntam adya bhavataH sAkSAn nivEdayitumanumatOham idaM svIyaM paramaM bhAgyaM manyE;

“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 yatO yihUdIyalOkAnAM madhyE yA yA rItiH sUkSmavicArAzca santi tESu bhavAn vijnjatamaH; ataEva prArthayE dhairyyamavalambya mama nivEdanaM zRNOtu|

especially since yoʋ are acquainted with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg yoʋ to listen to me patiently.

4 ahaM yirUzAlamnagarE svadEzIyalOkAnAM madhyE tiSThan A yauvanakAlAd yadrUpam AcaritavAn tad yihUdIyalOkAH sarvvE vidanti|

“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 asmAkaM sarvvEbhyaH zuddhatamaM yat phirUzIyamataM tadavalambI bhUtvAhaM kAlaM yApitavAn yE janA A bAlyakAlAn mAM jAnAnti tE EtAdRzaM sAkSyaM yadi dadAti tarhi dAtuM zaknuvanti|

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 kintu hE AgripparAja IzvarO'smAkaM pUrvvapuruSANAM nikaTE yad aggIkRtavAn tasya pratyAzAhEtOraham idAnIM vicArasthAnE daNPAyamAnOsmi|

And now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our fathers,

7 tasyAggIkArasya phalaM prAptum asmAkaM dvAdazavaMzA divAnizaM mahAyatnAd IzvarasEvanaM kRtvA yAM pratyAzAM kurvvanti tasyAH pratyAzAyA hEtOrahaM yihUdIyairapavAditO'bhavam|

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 IzvarO mRtAn utthApayiSyatIti vAkyaM yuSmAkaM nikaTE'sambhavaM kutO bhavEt?

Why is it deemed unbelievable by you that God raises the dead?

9 nAsaratIyayIzO rnAmnO viruddhaM nAnAprakArapratikUlAcaraNam ucitam ityahaM manasi yathArthaM vijnjAya

“Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 yirUzAlamanagarE tadakaravaM phalataH pradhAnayAjakasya nikaTAt kSamatAM prApya bahUn pavitralOkAn kArAyAM baddhavAn vizESatastESAM hananasamayE tESAM viruddhAM nijAM sammatiM prakAzitavAn|

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 vAraM vAraM bhajanabhavanESu tEbhyO daNPaM pradattavAn balAt taM dharmmaM nindayitavAMzca punazca tAn prati mahAkrOdhAd unmattaH san vidEzIyanagarANi yAvat tAn tAPitavAn|

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 itthaM pradhAnayAjakasya samIpAt zaktim AjnjApatranjca labdhvA dammESaknagaraM gatavAn|

“While engaged in such things, I was on my way to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

13 tadAhaM hE rAjan mArgamadhyE madhyAhnakAlE mama madIyasagginAM lOkAnAnjca catasRSu dikSu gagaNAt prakAzamAnAM bhAskaratOpi tEjasvatIM dIptiM dRSTavAn|

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 tasmAd asmAsu sarvvESu bhUmau patitESu satsu hE zaula hai zaula kutO mAM tAPayasi? kaNTakAnAM mukhE pAdAhananaM tava duHsAdhyam ibrIyabhASayA gadita EtAdRza EkaH zabdO mayA zrutaH|

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 tadAhaM pRSTavAn hE prabhO kO bhavAn? tataH sa kathitavAn yaM yIzuM tvaM tAPayasi sOhaM,

I said, ‘Who are yoʋ, Lord?’ He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom yoʋ are persecuting.

16 kintu samuttiSTha tvaM yad dRSTavAn itaH punanjca yadyat tvAM darzayiSyAmi tESAM sarvvESAM kAryyANAM tvAM sAkSiNaM mama sEvakanjca karttum darzanam adAm|

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 vizESatO yihUdIyalOkEbhyO bhinnajAtIyEbhyazca tvAM manOnItaM kRtvA tESAM yathA pApamOcanaM bhavati

I will rescue yoʋ from yoʋr own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending yoʋ

18 yathA tE mayi vizvasya pavitrIkRtAnAM madhyE bhAgaM prApnuvanti tadabhiprAyENa tESAM jnjAnacakSUMSi prasannAni karttuM tathAndhakArAd dIptiM prati zaitAnAdhikArAcca IzvaraM prati matIH parAvarttayituM tESAM samIpaM tvAM prESyAmi|

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 hE AgripparAja EtAdRzaM svargIyapratyAdEzaM agrAhyam akRtvAhaM

“Consequently, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20 prathamatO dammESaknagarE tatO yirUzAlami sarvvasmin yihUdIyadEzE anyESu dEzESu ca yEna lOkA matiM parAvarttya IzvaraM prati parAvarttayantE, manaHparAvarttanayOgyAni karmmANi ca kurvvanti tAdRzam upadEzaM pracAritavAn|

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 EtatkAraNAd yihUdIyA madhyEmandiraM mAM dhRtvA hantum udyatAH|

That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and were trying to kill me.

22 tathApi khrISTO duHkhaM bhuktvA sarvvESAM pUrvvaM zmazAnAd utthAya nijadEzIyAnAM bhinnadEzIyAnAnjca samIpE dIptiM prakAzayiSyati

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 bhaviSyadvAdigaNO mUsAzca bhAvikAryyasya yadidaM pramANam adadurEtad vinAnyAM kathAM na kathayitvA IzvarAd anugrahaM labdhvA mahatAM kSudrANAnjca sarvvESAM samIpE pramANaM dattvAdya yAvat tiSThAmi|

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 tasyamAM kathAM nizamya phISTa uccaiH svarENa kathitavAn hE paula tvam unmattOsi bahuvidyAbhyAsEna tvaM hatajnjAnO jAtaH|

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 sa uktavAn hE mahAmahima phISTa nAham unmattaH kintu satyaM vivEcanIyanjca vAkyaM prastaumi|

But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking words of truth and good sense.

26 yasya sAkSAd akSObhaH san kathAM kathayAmi sa rAjA tadvRttAntaM jAnAti tasya samIpE kimapi guptaM nEti mayA nizcitaM budhyatE yatastad vijanE na kRtaM|

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 hE AgripparAja bhavAn kiM bhaviSyadvAdigaNOktAni vAkyAni pratyEti? bhavAn pratyEti tadahaM jAnAmi|

Do yoʋ believe the Prophets, King Agrippa? I know that yoʋ believe.”

28 tata AgrippaH paulam abhihitavAn tvaM pravRttiM janayitvA prAyENa mAmapi khrISTIyaM karOSi|

Agrippa said to Paul, “Do yoʋ think yoʋ can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

29 tataH sO'vAdIt bhavAn yE yE lOkAzca mama kathAm adya zRNvanti prAyENa iti nahi kintvEtat zRgkhalabandhanaM vinA sarvvathA tE sarvvE mAdRzA bhavantvitIzvasya samIpE prArthayE'ham|

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 EtasyAM kathAyAM kathitAyAM sa rAjA sO'dhipati rbarNIkI sabhAsthA lOkAzca tasmAd utthAya

After Paul said these things, the king stood up, along with the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with them.

31 gOpanE parasparaM vivicya kathitavanta ESa janO bandhanArhaM prANahananArhaM vA kimapi karmma nAkarOt|

After leaving the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or imprisonment.”

32 tata AgrippaH phISTam avadat, yadyESa mAnuSaH kaisarasya nikaTE vicAritO bhavituM na prArthayiSyat tarhi muktO bhavitum azakSyat|

And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”