Actuum Apostolorum 26

1 Agrippa vero ad Paulum ait permittitur tibi loqui pro temet ipso tunc Paulus extenta manu coepit rationem reddere

Then Agrippa sayd vnto Paul, Thou art permitted to speake for thy selfe. So Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himselfe.

2 de omnibus quibus accusor a Iudaeis rex Agrippa aestimo me beatum apud te cum sim defensurus me hodie

I thinke my selfe happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answere this day before thee of all the things whereof I am accused of the Iewes.

3 maxime te sciente omnia quae apud Iudaeos sunt consuetudines et quaestiones propter quod obsecro patienter me audias

Chiefly, because thou hast knowledge of all customes, and questions which are among the Iewes: wherefore I beseech thee, to heare me patiently.

4 et quidem vitam meam a iuventute quae ab initio fuit in gente mea in Hierosolymis noverunt omnes Iudaei

As touching my life from my childhood, and what it was from the beginning among mine owne nation at Hierusalem, know all the Iewes,

5 praescientes me ab initio si velint testimonium perhibere quoniam secundum certissimam sectam nostrae religionis vixi Pharisaeus

Which knewe me heretofore, euen from my elders (if they would testifie) that after the most straite sect of our religion I liued a Pharise.

6 et nunc in spe quae ad patres nostros repromissionis facta est a Deo sto iudicio subiectus

And now I stand and am accused for the hope of the promise made of God vnto our fathers.

7 in quam duodecim tribus nostrae nocte ac die deservientes sperant devenire de qua spe accusor a Iudaeis rex

Whereunto our twelue tribes instantly seruing God day and night, hope to come: for the which hopes sake, O King Agrippa, I am accused of the Iewes.

8 quid incredibile iudicatur apud vos si Deus mortuos suscitat

Why should it be thought a thing incredible vnto you, that God should raise againe the dead?

9 et ego quidem existimaveram me adversus nomen Iesu Nazareni debere multa contraria agere

I also verely thought in my selfe, that I ought to doe many contrarie things against the Name of Iesus of Nazareth.

10 quod et feci Hierosolymis et multos sanctorum ego in carceribus inclusi a principibus sacerdotum potestate accepta et cum occiderentur detuli sententiam

Which thing I also did in Hierusalem: for many of the Saints I shut vp in prison, hauing receiued authoritie of the hie Priests, and when they were put to death, I gaue my sentence.

11 et per omnes synagogas frequenter puniens eos conpellebam blasphemare et amplius insaniens in eos persequebar usque in exteras civitates

And I punished them throughout all the Synagogues, and compelled them to blaspheme, and being more mad against them, I persecuted them, euen vnto strange cities.

12 in quibus dum irem Damascum cum potestate et permissu principum sacerdotum

At which time, euen as I went to Damascus with authoritie, and commission from the hie Priests,

13 die media in via vidi rex de caelo supra splendorem solis circumfulsisse me lumen et eos qui mecum simul erant

At midday, O King, I sawe in the way a light from heauen, passing the brightnes of the sunne, shine round about mee, and them which went with me.

14 omnesque nos cum decidissemus in terram audivi vocem loquentem mihi hebraica lingua Saule Saule quid me persequeris durum est tibi contra stimulum calcitrare

So when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voyce speaking vnto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kicke against pricks.

15 ego autem dixi quis es Domine Dominus autem dixit ego sum Iesus quem tu persequeris

Then I sayd, Who art thou, Lord? And he sayd, I am Iesus whom thou persecutest.

16 sed exsurge et sta super pedes tuos ad hoc enim apparui tibi ut constituam te ministrum et testem eorum quae vidisti et eorum quibus apparebo tibi

But rise and stand vp on thy feete: for I haue appeared vnto thee for this purpose, to appoint thee a minister and a witnesse, both of the things which thou hast seene, and of the things in the which I will appeare vnto thee,

17 eripiens te de populo et gentibus in quas nunc ego mitto te

Deliuering thee from this people, and from the Gentiles, vnto whom now I send thee,

18 aperire oculos eorum ut convertantur a tenebris ad lucem et de potestate Satanae ad Deum ut accipiant remissionem peccatorum et sortem inter sanctos per fidem quae est in me

To open their eyes, that they may turne from darknes to light, and from the power of Satan vnto God, that they may receiue forgiuenes of sinnes, and inheritance among them, which are sanctified by fayth in me.

19 unde rex Agrippa non fui incredulus caelestis visionis

Wherefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient vnto the heauenly vision,

20 sed his qui sunt Damasci primum et Hierosolymis et in omnem regionem Iudaeae et gentibus adnuntiabam ut paenitentiam agerent et converterentur ad Deum digna paenitentiae opera facientes

But shewed first vnto them of Damascus, and at Hierusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Iudea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turne to God, and doe workes worthy amendment of life.

21 hac ex causa me Iudaei cum essem in templo conprehensum temptabant interficere

For this cause the Iewes caught me in the Temple, and went about to kill me.

22 auxilio autem adiutus Dei usque in hodiernum diem sto testificans minori atque maiori nihil extra dicens quam ea quae prophetae sunt locuti futura esse et Moses

Neuertheles, I obteined helpe of God, and continue vnto this day, witnessing both to small and to great, saying none other things, then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come,

23 si passibilis Christus si primus ex resurrectione mortuorum lumen adnuntiaturus est populo et gentibus

To wit, that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light vnto this people, and to the Gentiles.

24 haec loquente eo et rationem reddente Festus magna voce dixit insanis Paule multae te litterae ad insaniam convertunt

And as he thus answered for himselfe, Festus said with a loude voyce, Paul, thou art besides thy selfe: much learning doeth make thee mad.

25 at Paulus non insanio inquit optime Feste sed veritatis et sobrietatis verba eloquor

But he said, I am not mad, O noble Festus, but I speake the wordes of trueth and sobernes.

26 scit enim de his rex ad quem et constanter loquor latere enim eum nihil horum arbitror neque enim in angulo quicquam horum gestum est

For the King knoweth of these things, before whom also I speake boldly: for I am perswaded that none of these things are hidden from him: for this thing was not done in a corner.

27 credis rex Agrippa prophetis scio quia credis

O King Agrippa, beleeuest thou the Prophets? I know that thou beleeuest.

28 Agrippa autem ad Paulum in modico suades me Christianum fieri

Then Agrippa said vnto Paul, Almost thou perswadest me to become a Christian.

29 et Paulus opto apud Deum et in modico et in magno non tantum te sed et omnes hos qui audiunt hodie fieri tales qualis et ego sum exceptis vinculis his

Then Paul sayd, I would to God that not onely thou, but also all that heare me to day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

30 et exsurrexit rex et praeses et Bernice et qui adsidebant eis

And when he had thus spoken, the King rose vp, and the gouernour, and Bernice, and they that sate with them.

31 et cum secessissent loquebantur ad invicem dicentes quia nihil morte aut vinculorum dignum quid facit homo iste

And when they were gone apart, they talked betweene themselues, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death, nor of bonds.

32 Agrippa autem Festo dixit dimitti poterat homo hic si non appellasset Caesarem

Then sayd Agrippa vnto Festus, This man might haue bene loosed, if hee had not appealed vnto Cesar.