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,

Agrippa sprach zu Paulus: "Ich gebe dir hiermit das Wort, dich zu verteidigen." Da streckte Paulus seine Hand aus und begann seine Verteidigungsrede.

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.

"König Agrippa", so hob er an, "ich schätze mich glücklich, daß ich mich heute gegen alle Anklagen der Juden vor dir verteidigen darf,

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.”

besonders deshalb, weil dir alle jüdischen Gebräuche und Streitfragen bekannt sind. Darum bitte ich dich: höre mich geduldig an!

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.

Wie ich von Anfang an seit meinen Jugendjahren unter meinem Volk in Jerusalem gelebt habe, das wissen alle Juden.

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.

Denn sie kennen mich seit langer Zeit und wissen, wenn sie nur der Wahrheit die Ehre geben wollten, daß ich der strengsten Richtung unseres Glaubens angehörte und ein Pharisäer war.

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.

Nun stehe ich hier vor Gericht, weil ich auf die Erfüllung der Verheißung hoffe, die unseren Vätern einst von Gott gegeben worden ist,

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!

und die auch die zwölf Stämme unseres Volkes zu erlangen hoffen, indem sie Gott bei Tag und Nacht mit angestrengtem Eifer dienen. Um dieser Hoffnung willen, o König, verklagen mich die Juden.

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]”

Warum haltet ihr's denn für unglaublich, daß Gott Tote auferweckt?

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

Ich dachte einst, ich müsse mit aller Macht der Sache Jesu von Nazaret entgegenarbeiten.

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].

Das habe ich denn auch in Jerusalem getan: Mit hohenpriesterlicher Vollmacht ausgerüstet, warf ich viele Heilige ins Gefängnis, und wenn sie hingerichtet werden sollten, stimmte ich dafür.

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.”

In allen jüdischen Versammlungshäusern suchte ich sie oft durch Strafe zur Lästerung (Jesu) zu bringen. Ja in meiner wilden Wut verfolgte ich sie sogar bis in die Städte außerhalb des Landes.

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].

So zog ich denn zu gleichem Tun mit einer Vollmacht und Befugnis von den Hohenpriestern nach Damaskus.

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.

Als ich auf dem Weg dorthin war, sah ich, o König, gegen Mittag vom Himmel her ein Licht, heller als die Sonne, mich und meine Begleiter umstrahlen.

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.’

Wir fielen alle zu Boden, und ich hörte eine Stimme auf hebräisch zu mir sagen: 'Saul, Saul, warum verfolgst du mich? Es ist dir schwer, gegen den Stachel auszuschlagen.'

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].

Ich sprach: 'Wer bist du, Herr?' Der Herr erwiderte: 'Ich bin Jesus, den du verfolgst.

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.

Doch stehe auf und stelle dich auf deine Füße! Denn dazu bin ich dir erschienen, um dich zu meinem Diener zu erwählen und zu meinem Zeugen von dem, was du gesehen hast, und was ich dich noch schauen lassen werden.

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

Dabei will ich dich schützen vor dem Volk (Israel) und vor den Heiden, zu denen ich dich sende,

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].”

um ihre Augen aufzutun, daß sie sich von der Finsternis zum Licht wenden und von des Satans Macht zu Gott, damit sie durch den Glauben an mich Vergebung der Sünden empfangen und ein Erbteil unter denen, die geheiligt sind.'

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

Darum, o König Agrippa, bin ich der himmlischen Erscheinung nicht ungehorsam gewesen.

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.”

Sondern ich habe zuerst den Bewohnern von Damaskus und Jerusalem, dann der ganzen Landschaft Judäa und weiterhin den Heiden verkündigt, daß sie ihren Sinn ändern, sich zu Gott bekehren und Werke vollbringen müssen, die der Sinnesänderung entsprechen.

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.

Deshalb haben mich die Juden im Tempel ergriffen und zu töten versucht.

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.

Durch Gottes Beistand lebe ich heute noch und lege hoch und niedrig Zeugnis ab, indem ich nur das lehre, was die Propheten und auch Mose vorausverkündigt haben:

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.”

daß der Messias leiden und dann als Erstling der vom Tod Auferstandenen nicht nur dem Volk (Israel), sondern auch den Heiden Licht verkünden müsse..."

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!”

Als sich Paulus so verteidigte, unterbrach ihn Festus mit dem lauten Ruf: "Du bist von Sinnen, Paulus! Deine große Gelehrsamkeit hat dich um den Verstand gebracht!"

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

Paulus erwiderte: "Ich bin nicht von Sinnen, hochedler Festus, sondern die Worte, die ich rede, sind wahr und vernünftig.

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].”

Der König, an den ich mich voll Freimut wende, weiß um diese Dinge. Denn ich glaube nicht, daß ihm etwas von dem allen unbekannt geblieben ist. Es hat sich ja auch nicht in einem abgelegenen Winkel abgespielt.

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

Glaubst du, König Agrippa, den Propheten? Ich weiß, du glaubst."

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]

Da sprach Agrippa zu Paulus: "Es fehlt nur wenig, so überredest du mich, ein Christ zu werden."

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].”

Paulus antwortete: "Wollte Gott, es würden, mag nun wenig oder viel daran fehlen, nicht allein du, sondern alle, die mich heute hören, ganz ebenso wie ich — nur ausgenommen diese Ketten."

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

Da erhoben sich der König, der Statthalter, Bernike und die übrige Versammlung.

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].”

Sie zogen sich zurück, redeten miteinander und sagten: "Dieser Mensch treibt nichts, was Tod oder Gefängnis verdient."

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}.”

Agrippa aber sprach zu Festus: "Dieser Mensch könnte freigelassen werden, wenn er sich nicht auf den Kaiser berufen hätte."