Acts 26

1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You [(sg)] are permitted [now] to speak [to defend] yourself.” Paul stretched out his hand ([dramatically/to salute the king]) and began to defend himself. He said,

αγριππας δε προς τον παυλον εφη επιτρεπεται σοι {VAR1: υπερ } {VAR2: περι } σεαυτου λεγειν τοτε ο παυλος εκτεινας την χειρα απελογειτο

2 “King Agrippa, I consider that I am fortunate that today, while you [(sg)] listen, I can defend myself from all the things about which the Jewish [leaders] [SYN] are accusing me.

περι παντων ων εγκαλουμαι υπο ιουδαιων βασιλευ αγριππα ηγημαι εμαυτον μακαριον επι σου μελλων σημερον απολογεισθαι

3 I am really fortunate, because you [(sg)] know all about the customs of us Jews and the questions that we [(exc)] argue about. So I ask you, please listen patiently to what I say.”

μαλιστα γνωστην οντα σε παντων των κατα ιουδαιους εθων τε και ζητηματων διο δεομαι μακροθυμως ακουσαι μου

4 “Many [HYP] of my fellow Jews know about how I have conducted my life, from the time I was a child. They know how I lived in the area where I [was born] and [also later] in Jerusalem.

την μεν ουν βιωσιν μου {VAR2: [την] } εκ νεοτητος την απ αρχης γενομενην εν τω εθνει μου εν τε ιεροσολυμοις ισασιν παντες {VAR2: [οι] } ιουδαιοι

5 They have known for many years, and they could tell you, if they wanted to, that [since I was very young] I obeyed the customs of our religion very carefully, just like the [other] Pharisees do.

προγινωσκοντες με ανωθεν εαν θελωσιν μαρτυρειν οτι κατα την ακριβεστατην αιρεσιν της ημετερας θρησκειας εζησα φαρισαιος

6 Today I am being put on trial {[they] are putting me on trial} because I am confidently expecting that God will do what he promised our [(exc)] ancestors.

και νυν επ ελπιδι της εις τους πατερας ημων επαγγελιας γενομενης υπο του θεου εστηκα κρινομενος

7 Our twelve tribes are [also] confidently waiting for God to do [for us what he promised], as they respectfully worship him, day and night. [Respected] king, I confidently expect [that God will do what he promised, and they also believe that! But that is the reason] that these Jewish leaders [SYN] are accusing me!

εις ην το δωδεκαφυλον ημων εν εκτενεια νυκτα και ημεραν λατρευον ελπιζει καταντησαι περι ης ελπιδος εγκαλουμαι υπο ιουδαιων βασιλευ

8 They believe that God can cause those who have died to become alive again, so (why [do any of you refuse to believe that he raised Jesus from the dead?/none of you should refuse to believe that he raised Jesus from the dead!]) [RHQ]”

τι απιστον κρινεται παρ υμιν ει ο θεος νεκρους εγειρει

9 “[Formerly] I, too, was sure that I should do everything that I could to oppose Jesus [MTY], the man from Nazareth [town].

εγω μεν ουν εδοξα εμαυτω προς το ονομα ιησου του ναζωραιου δειν πολλα εναντια πραξαι

10 So that is what I did [when I lived] in Jerusalem. I put many of the believers in jail, as the chief priests there had authorized me [to do]. When [the Jewish leaders wanted] those Christians killed {someone to kill those [Christians]}, I voted [for that].

ο και εποιησα εν ιεροσολυμοις και πολλους τε των αγιων εγω εν φυλακαις κατεκλεισα την παρα των αρχιερεων εξουσιαν λαβων αναιρουμενων τε αυτων κατηνεγκα ψηφον

11 Many times I punished the believers [whom I found] in Jewish meeting places. [By punishing them], I tried to force them to speak evil [about Jesus]. I was so angry with the followers of Jesus that I even traveled to other cities to [find them and] do things to harm them.”

και κατα πασας τας συναγωγας πολλακις τιμωρων αυτους ηναγκαζον βλασφημειν περισσως τε εμμαινομενος αυτοις εδιωκον εως και εις τας εξω πολεις

12 “[One day], I was on my way to Damascus [city] to do that. The chief priests [in Jerusalem] had authorized and sent me [to seize the believers there].

εν οις πορευομενος εις την δαμασκον μετ εξουσιας και επιτροπης της των αρχιερεων

13 [My respected] king, [while I was going] along the road, at about noon I saw a [bright] light in the sky. It was even brighter than the sun! It shone all around me, and also around the men who were traveling with me.

ημερας μεσης κατα την οδον ειδον βασιλευ ουρανοθεν υπερ την λαμπροτητα του ηλιου περιλαμψαν με φως και τους συν εμοι πορευομενους

14 We [(exc)] all fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking to me in my own Hebrew language [MTY]. He said ‘Saul, Saul, (stop causing me to suffer!/why are you causing me to suffer?) [RHQ] You [(sg)] are [hurting yourself by trying to hurt me] [MET], [like an ox] kicking against [its owner’s] goad.’

παντων τε καταπεσοντων ημων εις την γην ηκουσα φωνην λεγουσαν προς με τη εβραιδι διαλεκτω σαουλ σαουλ τι με διωκεις σκληρον σοι προς κεντρα λακτιζειν

15 Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘I am Jesus. You [(sg)] are harming me [by harming my followers].

εγω δε ειπα τις ει κυριε ο δε κυριος ειπεν εγω ειμι ιησους ον συ διωκεις

16 But instead [of continuing to do that], stand up now! I have appeared to you [(sg)] to tell you that I have chosen you to serve me. You must tell people about [what I am showing you] as you are seeing me [now], and about what I [will show you when] I will [later] appear to you.

αλλα αναστηθι και στηθι επι τους ποδας σου εις τουτο γαρ ωφθην σοι προχειρισασθαι σε υπηρετην και μαρτυρα ων τε ειδες {VAR1: με } {VAR2: [με] } ων τε οφθησομαι σοι

17 I will protect you [from those who will try to harm you, both] your own people and [also] those who are not Jewish. I am sending you to non-Jews

εξαιρουμενος σε εκ του λαου και εκ των εθνων εις ους εγω αποστελλω σε

18 to help them to realize [MTY] what is true and to stop believing what is false [MET]. I am sending you to them so that they may let God control them and not let Satan control them any more. [Then God] will forgive their sins and will accept them as his people because they believe in me.’ [That is what Jesus said to me].”

ανοιξαι οφθαλμους αυτων του επιστρεψαι απο σκοτους εις φως και της εξουσιας του σατανα επι τον θεον του λαβειν αυτους αφεσιν αμαρτιων και κληρον εν τοις ηγιασμενοις πιστει τη εις εμε

19 “So, King Agrippa, I fully obeyed [LIT] what [the Lord Jesus told me to do when he spoke to me] from heaven.

οθεν βασιλευ αγριππα ουκ εγενομην απειθης τη ουρανιω οπτασια

20 First, I preached to [the Jews] in Damascus. Then I [preached to the Jews] in Jerusalem and throughout [the rest of] Judea [province]. After that, I also preached to non-Jews. I preached that they must turn away from their sinful behavior and turn their lives over to God. I told them that they must do things that would show that they had truly stopped their sinful behavior.”

αλλα τοις εν δαμασκω πρωτον τε και ιεροσολυμοις πασαν τε την χωραν της ιουδαιας και τοις εθνεσιν απηγγελλον μετανοειν και επιστρεφειν επι τον θεον αξια της μετανοιας εργα πρασσοντας

21 “It is because I [preached] this message [that some] [SYN] Jews seized me [when I was] in the Temple [courtyard and] tried to kill me.

ενεκα τουτων με ιουδαιοι συλλαβομενοι {VAR2: [οντα] } εν τω ιερω επειρωντο διαχειρισασθαι

22 However, God has been helping me [from that time, and he is still helping me] today. So I stand here and I tell [all of you people], those who are important and those who are not, [who Jesus is]. Everything that I say [about him] is what Moses and the [other] prophets wrote [about long ago, things that they said] would happen.

επικουριας ουν τυχων της απο του θεου αχρι της ημερας ταυτης εστηκα μαρτυρομενος μικρω τε και μεγαλω ουδεν εκτος λεγων ων τε οι προφηται ελαλησαν μελλοντων γινεσθαι και μωυσης

23 They wrote that [people would cause] the Messiah to suffer and die. They also wrote that he would be the first person to become alive again, to proclaim [the message that would be like] light, [that he would save] both [his own Jewish] people and non-Jewish people.”

ει παθητος ο χριστος ει πρωτος εξ αναστασεως νεκρων φως μελλει καταγγελλειν τω τε λαω και τοις εθνεσιν

24 Before Paul could say anything [further] to defend himself, Festus shouted: “Paul, you are crazy! You have studied too much, and it has made you insane!”

ταυτα δε αυτου απολογουμενου ο φηστος μεγαλη τη φωνη φησιν μαινη παυλε τα πολλα σε γραμματα εις μανιαν περιτρεπει

25 But Paul answered, “Your Excellency, Festus, I am not raving [insanely]. On the contrary, what I am saying is true and sensible!

ο δε παυλος ου μαινομαι φησιν κρατιστε φηστε αλλα αληθειας και σωφροσυνης ρηματα αποφθεγγομαι

26 King Agrippa knows the things [that I have been talking about], and I can speak confidently to him [about them]. I am sure that he knows [LIT] these things, because people everywhere [IDM] have heard [LIT] about what happened [to Jesus].”

επισταται γαρ περι τουτων ο βασιλευς προς ον {VAR2: και } παρρησιαζομενος λαλω λανθανειν γαρ αυτον {VAR2: [τι] } τουτων ου πειθομαι ουθεν ου γαρ εστιν εν γωνια πεπραγμενον τουτο

27 Then Paul asked, “King Agrippa, do you believe [what] the prophets [wrote]? I know that you [(sg)] believe it.”

πιστευεις βασιλευ αγριππα τοις προφηταις οιδα οτι πιστευεις

28 Then Agrippa [answered] Paul, “([I hope that you(sg)] do not think that by the few things [that you have just now said] you can persuade me to become a Christian!/You do not think, [do you], that by the few things [that you have just now said] you can persuade me to become a Christian?)” [RHQ]

ο δε αγριππας προς τον παυλον εν ολιγω με πειθεις χριστιανον ποιησαι

29 Paul replied, “Whether it takes a short time or a long time, it does not matter. I pray to God that you and also all of the others who are listening to me today will also [believe in Jesus] like I do, but I do not want you to become prisoners [MTY] [like I am].”

ο δε παυλος ευξαιμην αν τω θεω και εν ολιγω και εν μεγαλω ου μονον σε αλλα και παντας τους ακουοντας μου σημερον γενεσθαι τοιουτους οποιος και εγω ειμι παρεκτος των δεσμων τουτων

30 Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others got up

ανεστη τε ο βασιλευς και ο ηγεμων η τε βερνικη και οι συγκαθημενοι αυτοις

31 and left [the room. While] they were talking to one another they said to each other, “There is no reason why (the authorities/we) should execute this man, or that he should even be kept in prison [MTY].”

και αναχωρησαντες ελαλουν προς αλληλους λεγοντες οτι ουδεν θανατου η δεσμων αξιον {VAR2: [τι] } πρασσει ο ανθρωπος ουτος

32 Agrippa said to Festus, “If this man had not asked that the Emperor judge him, he could have been released {[we(inc)] could have released him}.”

αγριππας δε τω φηστω εφη απολελυσθαι εδυνατο ο ανθρωπος ουτος ει μη επεκεκλητο καισαρα