New Living Translation

Greek Study Bible

1Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.” So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense:

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

2“I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders,

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

3for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!

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

4“As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood 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

5If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion.

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

6Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors.

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

7In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope!

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

8Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?

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

9“I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene.

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

10Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death.

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

11Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities.

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

12“One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests.

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

13About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions.

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

14We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will. ’

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“‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “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

16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future.

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

17 And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles

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

18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart 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“And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven.

19Ὅθεν βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα οὐκ ἐγενόμην ἀπειθὴς τῇ οὐρανίῳ ὀπτασίᾳ

20I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.

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

21Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me.

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

22But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen—

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 would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”

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

24Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!”

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

25But Paul replied, “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth.

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

26And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were 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 do—”

27πιστεύεις βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα τοῖς προφήταις οἶδα ὅτι πιστεύεις

28Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

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

29Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same 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

30Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left.

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

31As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”

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

32And Agrippa said to Festus, “He could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.”

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

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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