Christian Standard Bible

Greek Study Bible

1Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

1Ἀγρίππας δὲ πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον ἔφη Ἐπιτρέπεταί σοι ὑπὲρ σεαυτοῦ λέγειν Τότε ὁ Παῦλος ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἀπελογεῖτο

2"I consider myself fortunate, that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews,

2Περὶ πάντων ὧν ἐγκαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα ἥγημαι ἐμαυτὸν μακάριον ἐπὶ σοῦ μέλλων σήμερον ἀπολογεῖσθαι

3especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

3μάλιστα γνώστην ὄντα σε πάντων τῶν κατὰ Ἰουδαίους ἐθῶν τε καὶ ζητημάτων διὸ δέομαι μακροθύμως ἀκοῦσαί μου

4"All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.

4Τὴν μὲν οὖν βίωσίν μου ‹τὴν› ἐκ νεότητος τὴν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς γενομένην ἐν τῷ ἔθνει μου ἔν τε Ἱεροσολύμοις ἴσασι πάντες [οἱ] Ἰουδαῖοι

5They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.

5προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν ἐὰν θέλωσι μαρτυρεῖν ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην αἵρεσιν τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας ἔζησα Φαρισαῖος

6And now I stand on trial because of the hope in what God promised to our ancestors,

6Καὶ νῦν ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι τῆς εἰς τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν ἐπαγγελίας γενομένης ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἕστηκα κρινόμενος

7the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope.

7εἰς ἣν τὸ δωδεκάφυλον ἡμῶν ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν λατρεῦον ἐλπίζει καταντῆσαι περὶ ἧς ἐλπίδος ἐγκαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων βασιλεῦ

8Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

8τί ἄπιστον κρίνεται παρ’ ὑμῖν εἰ ὁ Θεὸς νεκροὺς ἐγείρει

9In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

9Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἔδοξα ἐμαυτῷ πρὸς τὸ ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου δεῖν πολλὰ ἐναντία πρᾶξαι

10I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them.

10ὃ καὶ ἐποίησα ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις καὶ πολλούς τε τῶν ἁγίων ἐγὼ ἐν φυλακαῖς κατέκλεισα τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων ἐξουσίαν λαβών ἀναιρουμένων τε αὐτῶν κατήνεγκα ψῆφον

11In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme. Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

11καὶ κατὰ πάσας τὰς συναγωγὰς πολλάκις τιμωρῶν αὐτοὺς ἠνάγκαζον βλασφημεῖν περισσῶς τε ἐμμαινόμενος αὐτοῖς ἐδίωκον ἕως καὶ εἰς τὰς ἔξω πόλεις

12"I was traveling to Damascus under these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests.

12Ἐν οἷς πορευόμενος εἰς τὴν Δαμασκὸν μετ’ ἐξουσίας καὶ ἐπιτροπῆς τῆς τῶν ἀρχιερέων

13King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me.

13ἡμέρας μέσης κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν εἶδον βασιλεῦ οὐρανόθεν ὑπὲρ τὴν λαμπρότητα τοῦ ἡλίου περιλάμψαν με φῶς καὶ τοὺς σὺν ἐμοὶ πορευομένους

14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

14πάντων τε καταπεσόντων ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἤκουσα φωνὴν λέγουσαν πρός με τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ Σαοὺλ Σαούλ τί με διώκεις σκληρόν σοι πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν

15"I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "And the Lord replied: 'I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.

15Ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπα Τίς εἶ Κύριε Ὁ δὲ Κύριος εἶπεν Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὃν σὺ διώκεις

16But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.

16ἀλλὰ ἀνάστηθι καὶ στῆθι ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας σου εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ὤφθην σοι προχειρίσασθαί σε ὑπηρέτην καὶ μάρτυρα ὧν τε εἶδές με ὧν τε ὀφθήσομαί σοι

17I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them

17ἐξαιρούμενός σε ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰς οὓς ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω σε

18to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

18ἀνοῖξαι ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι ἀπὸ σκότους εἰς φῶς καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν τοῦ λαβεῖν αὐτοὺς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ κλῆρον ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις πίστει τῇ εἰς ἐμέ

19"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

19Ὅθεν βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα οὐκ ἐγενόμην ἀπειθὴς τῇ οὐρανίῳ ὀπτασίᾳ

20Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.

20ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐν Δαμασκῷ πρῶτόν τε καὶ Ἱεροσολύμοις πᾶσάν τε τὴν χώραν τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπήγγελλον μετανοεῖν καὶ ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν ἄξια τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα πράσσοντας

21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me.

21ἕνεκα τούτων με Ἰουδαῖοι συλλαβόμενοι [ὄντα] ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἐπειρῶντο διαχειρίσασθαι

22To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place--

22Ἐπικουρίας οὖν τυχὼν τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης ἕστηκα μαρτυρόμενος μικρῷ τε καὶ μεγάλῳ οὐδὲν ἐκτὸς λέγων ὧν τε οἱ προφῆται ἐλάλησαν μελλόντων γίνεσθαι καὶ Μωϋσῆς

23that the Messiah must suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles."

23εἰ παθητὸς ὁ Χριστός εἰ πρῶτος ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν φῶς μέλλει καταγγέλλειν τῷ τε λαῷ καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν

24As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, "You're out of your mind, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad."

24Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀπολογουμένου ὁ Φῆστος μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ φησιν Μαίνῃ Παῦλε τὰ πολλά σε γράμματα εἰς μανίαν περιτρέπει

25But Paul replied, "I'm not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I'm speaking words of truth and good judgment.

25Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος Οὐ μαίνομαι φησίν Κράτιστε Φῆστε ἀλλὰ ἀληθείας καὶ σωφροσύνης ῥήματα ἀποφθέγγομαι

26For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak boldly to him. For I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner.

26ἐπίσταται γὰρ περὶ τούτων ὁ βασιλεύς πρὸς ὃν καὶ παρρησιαζόμενος λαλῶ λανθάνειν γὰρ αὐτὸν [τι] τούτων οὐ πείθομαι οὐθέν οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐν γωνίᾳ πεπραγμένον τοῦτο

27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe."

27πιστεύεις βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα τοῖς προφήταις οἶδα ὅτι πιστεύεις

28Agrippa said to Paul, "Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?"

28Ὁ δὲ Ἀγρίππας πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον Ἐν ὀλίγῳ με πείθεις Χριστιανὸν ποιῆσαι

29"I wish before God," replied Paul, "that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am--except for these chains."

29Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος Εὐξαίμην ἂν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἐν ὀλίγῳ καὶ ἐν μεγάλῳ οὐ μόνον σὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντάς μου σήμερον γενέσθαι τοιούτους ὁποῖος καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι παρεκτὸς τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων

30The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up,

30Ἀνέστη τε ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ ἡγεμὼν ἥ τε Βερνίκη καὶ οἱ συνκαθήμενοι αὐτοῖς

31and when they had left they talked with each other and said, "This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment."

31καὶ ἀναχωρήσαντες ἐλάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγοντες ὅτι Οὐδὲν θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν ἄξιον ‹τι› πράσσει ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος

32Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar."

32Ἀγρίππας δὲ τῷ Φήστῳ ἔφη Ἀπολελύσθαι ἐδύνατο ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος εἰ μὴ ἐπεκέκλητο Καίσαρα

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.