Πραξεις 26

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

Turning to Paul, Agrippa said, “You are at liberty to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense.

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

“I have been congratulating myself, King Agrippa,” he said, “that it is before you that I have to make my defense today, with regard to all the charges brought against me by my own people,

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

especially as you are so well-versed in all the customs and questions of the Jewish world. I beg you therefore to give me a patient hearing.

4 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

My life, then, from youth upwards, was passed, from the very first, among my own nation, and in Jerusalem, and is within the knowledge of all Jews;

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

and they have always known – if they choose to give evidence – that, in accordance with the very strictest form of our religion, I lived a true Pharisee.

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

Even now, it is because of my hope in the promise given by God to our ancestors that I stand here on my trial –

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

A promise which our twelve tribes, by earnest service night and day, hope to see fulfilled. It is for this hope, your Majesty, that I am accused – and by Jews themselves!

8 τι απιστον κρινεται παρ υμιν ει ο θεος νεκρους εγειρει

Why do you all hold it incredible that God should raise the dead?

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

I myself, it is true, once thought it my duty to oppose in every way the name of Jesus of Nazareth;

10 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

and I actually did so at Jerusalem. Acting on the authority of the chief priests, I myself threw many of the people of Christ into prison, and, when it was proposed to put them to death, I gave my vote for it.

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

Time after time, in every synagogue, I tried by punishments to force them to blaspheme. So frantic was I against them, that I pursued them even to towns beyond our borders.

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

It was while I was traveling to Damascus on an errand of this kind, entrusted with full powers by the chief priests,

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

that at midday, your Majesty, I saw right in my path, coming from the heavens, a light brighter than the glare of the sun, which shone all around me and those traveling with me.

14 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

We all fell to the ground, and then I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew – ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? By kicking against the goad you are punishing yourself.’

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

‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting;

16 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

but get up and stand upright; for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you a servant and a witness of those revelations of me which you have already had, and of those in which I will yet appear to you,

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

since I am choosing you out from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,

18 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

to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; so that they may receive pardon for their sins, and a place among those who have become God’s people, by faith in me.’

19 οθεν βασιλευ αγριππα ουκ εγενομην απειθης τη ουρανιω οπτασια

After that, King Agrippa, I did not fail to obey the heavenly vision;

20 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

on the contrary, first to those at Damascus and Jerusalem, and then through the whole of Judea, and to the Gentiles as well, I began to preach repentance and conversion to God, and a life befitting that repentance.

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

This is why some men seized me in the Temple, and made attempts on my life.

22 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

However I have received help from God to this very day, and so stand here, and bear my testimony to high and low alike – without adding a word to what the prophets, as well as Moses, declared should happen –

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

That the Christ must suffer, and that, by rising from the dead, he was destined to be the first to bring news of light, not only to our nation, but also to the Gentiles.”

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

While Paul was making this defense, Festus called out loudly, “You are mad, Paul; your great learning is driving you mad.”

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

“I am not mad, your Excellency,” he replied. “On the contrary, the statements that I am making are true and sober.

26 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

Indeed, the king knows about these matters, so I speak before him without constraint. I am sure that there is nothing whatever of what I have been telling him that has escaped his attention; for all this has not been done in a corner.

27 πιστευεις βασιλευ αγριππα τοις προφηταις οιδα οτι πιστευεις

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

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

But Agrippa said to Paul, “You are soon trying to make a Christian of me!”

29 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

“Whether it is soon or late,” answered Paul, “I pray to God that not only you, but all who are listening to me, might today become just what I am myself – except for these chains!”

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

Then the king rose, with the Governor and Bernice and those who had been sitting with them,

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

and, after retiring, discussed the case among themselves. “There is nothing,” they said, “deserving death or imprisonment in this man’s conduct”;

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

and, speaking to Festus, Agrippa added, “The man might have been discharged, if he had not appealed to the Emperor.”