Hechos 26

1 ENTONCES Agripa dijo á Pablo: Se te permite hablar por tí mismo. Pablo entónces, extendiendo la mano, comenzó á responder por sí, [diciendo: ]

And Agrippa said to Paul, You may put your cause before us. Then Paul, stretching out his hand, made his answer, saying:

2 Acerca de todas las cosas de que soy acusado por los Judíos, oh rey Agripa, me tengo por dichoso de que haya hay de defenderme delante de tí,

In my opinion I am happy, King Agrippa, to be able to give my answer before you today to all these things which the Jews say against me:

3 Mayormente sabiendo tú todas las costumbres y cuestiones que hay entre los Judíos; por lo cual te ruego que me oigas con paciencia.

The more so, because you are expert in all questions to do with the Jews and their ways: so I make my request to you to give me a hearing to the end.

4 Mi vida pues, desde la mocedad, la cual desde el principio fué en mi nacion en Jerusalem, todos los Judíos la saben;

All the Jews have knowledge of my way of life from my early years, as it was from the start among my nation, and at Jerusalem;

5 los cuales tienen ya conocido, que yo desde el principio, si quieren testificarlo, conforme á la más perfecta secta de nuestra religion he vivido Fariséo.

And they are able to say, if they would give witness, that I was living as a Pharisee, in that division of our religion which is most regular in the keeping of the law.

6 Y ahora por la esperanza de la promesa que hizo Dios á nuestros padres soy llamado en juicio.

And now I am here to be judged because of the hope given by God's word to our fathers;

7 A la cual [promesa] nuestras doce tribus, sirviendo constantemente de dia y de noche, esperan que han de llegar. Por la cual esperanza, oh rey Agripa, soy acusado de los Judíos;

For the effecting of which our twelve tribes have been working and waiting night and day with all their hearts. And in connection with this hope I am attacked by the Jews, O king!

8 ¡Qué! ¿Júzgase cosa increible entre vosotros que Dios resucite los muertos?

Why, in your opinion, is it outside belief for God to make the dead come to life again?

9 Yo ciertamente habia pensado deber hacer muchas cosas contra el nombre de Jesus de Nazaret:

For I, truly, was of the opinion that it was right for me to do a number of things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 Lo cual tambien hice en Jerusalem; y yo encerré en cárceles á muchos de los santos, recibida potestad de los príncipes de los sacerdotes, y cuando eran matados, yo dí mi voto.

And this I did in Jerusalem: and numbers of the saints I put in prison, having had authority given to me from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my decision against them.

11 Y muchas veces, castigándoles por todas las sinagogas, [les] forcé á blasfemar; y enfurecido sobre manera contra ellos, [los] perseguí hasta en las ciudades extrañas.

And I gave them punishment frequently, in all the Synagogues, forcing them to say things against God; and burning with passion against them, I went after them even into far-away towns.

12 En lo cual [ocupado, ] yendo á Damasco con potestad y comision de los príncipes de los sacerdotes,

Then, when I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and orders of the chief priests,

13 En mitad del dia, oh rey, ví en el camino una luz del cielo, que sobrepujaba el resplandor del sol, la cual me rodeó, y á los que iban conmigo.

In the middle of the day, on the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who were journeying with me.

14 Y habiendo caido todos nosotros en tierra, oí una voz que, me hablaba, y decia en lengua hebráica: Saulo, Saulo, ¿por qué me persigues? Dura cosa te es dar coces contra los aguijones.

And when we had all gone down on the earth, a voice came to me, saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you attacking me so cruelly? It is hard for you to go against the impulse which is driving you.

15 Yo entónces dije: ¿Quién eres, Señor? Y el Señor dijo: Yo soy Jesus, á quien tú persigues.

And I said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are attacking.

16 Mas levántate, y pónte sobre tus piés; porque para esto te he aparecido, para ponerte por ministro y testigo de las cosas que has visto, y de aquellas en que apareceré á tí;

But get up on your feet: for I have come to you for this purpose, to make you a servant and a witness of the things in which you have seen me, and of those in which you will see me;

17 Librándote del pueblo y de los Gentiles, á los cuales ahora te envio,

And I will keep you safe from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,

18 Para que abras sus ojos, para que se conviertan de las tinieblas á la luz, y de la potestad de Satanás á Dios, para que reciban por la fe, que es en mí, remision de pecados, y suerte entre los santificados

To make their eyes open, turning them from the dark to the light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may have forgiveness of sins and a heritage among those who are made holy by faith in me.

19 Por lo cual, oh rey Agripa, no fuí rebelde á la vision celestial:

So, then, King Agrippa, I did not go against the vision from heaven;

20 Antes anuncié primeramente á los que están en Damasco, y Jerusalem, y por toda la tierra de Judéa, y á los Gentiles, que se arrepintiesen y se convirtiesen á Dios, haciendo obras dignas de arrepentimiento.

But I went about, first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, and through all the country of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, preaching a change of heart, so that they, being turned to God, might give, in their works, the fruits of a changed heart.

21 Por causa de esto los Judíos, tomándome en el templo, tentaron matarme.

For this reason, the Jews took me in the Temple, and made an attempt to put me to death.

22 Mas ayudado del auxilio de Dios, persevero hasta el dia de hoy, dando testimonio á chicos y á grandes, no diciendo nada fuera de las cosas que los profetas y Moisés dijeron que habian de venir;

And so, by God's help, I am here today, witnessing to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come about;

23 Que Cristo habia de padecer, y [ser] el primero de la resurreccion de los muertos, para anunciar luz al pueblo y á los Gentiles.

That the Christ would go through pain, and being the first to come back from the dead, would give light to the people and to the Gentiles.

24 Y diciendo él estas cosas en su defensa, Festo á gran voz dijo: Estás loco, Pablo; las muchas letras te vuelven loco.

And when he made his answer in these words, Festus said in a loud voice, Paul, you are off your head; your great learning has made you unbalanced.

25 Mas él dijo: No estoy loco, excelente Festo, sino que hablo palabras de verdad y de templanza.

Then Paul said, I am not off my head, most noble Festus, but my words are true and wise.

26 Porque el rey sabe estas cosas, delante del cual tambien hablo confiadamente. Porque no pienso que ignora nada de esto; que no ha sido esto hecho en [algun] rincon.

For the king has knowledge of these things, to whom I am talking freely; being certain that all this is common knowledge to him; for it has not been done in secret.

27 ¿Crees, rey Agripa, á los profetas? Yo sé que crees.

King Agrippa, have you faith in the prophets? I am certain that you have.

28 Entónces Agripa dijo á Pablo: Por poco me persuades á ser Cristiano.

And Agrippa said to Paul, A little more and you will be making me a Christian.

29 Y Pablo dijo: ¡^Pluguiese á Dios que por poco ó por mucho, no solamente tú, mas tambien todos los que hoy me oyen, fueseis hechos tales cual yo soy, excepto estas prisiones!

And Paul said, It is my prayer to God that, in little or great measure, not only you, but all those hearing me today might be even as I am, but for these chains.

30 Y como hubo dicho estas cosas, se levantó el rey, y el presidente, y Bernice, y los que se habian sentado con ellos.

And the king and the ruler and Bernice and those who were seated with them got up;

31 Y como se retiraron aparte, hablaban los unos á los otros, diciendo: Ninguna^ cosa digna ni de muerte, ni de prision, hace este hombre.

And when they had gone away they said to one another, This man has done nothing which might give cause for death or prison.

32 Y Agripa dijo á Festo: Podia este hombre ser suelto, si no hubiera apelado á César.

And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been made free, if he had not put his cause before Caesar.