| 章 |
| 26:1 |
And Agrippa said unto Paul, `It is permitted to thee to speak for thyself;' then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a defence:
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| 26:2 |
`Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, king Agrippa, I have thought myself happy, being about to make a defence before thee to-day,
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| 26:3 |
especially knowing thee to be acquainted with all things -- both customs and questions -- among Jews; wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently to hear me.
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| 26:4 |
`The manner of my life then, indeed, from youth -- which from the beginning was among my nation, in Jerusalem -- know do all the Jews,
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| 26:5 |
knowing me before from the first, (if they may be willing to testify,) that after the most exact sect of our worship, I lived a Pharisee;
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| 26:6 |
and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,
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| 26:7 |
to which our twelve tribes, intently night and day serving, do hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, king Agrippa, by the Jews;
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| 26:8 |
why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?
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| 26:9 |
`I, indeed, therefore, thought with myself, that against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved [me] many things to do,
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| 26:10 |
which also I did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I in prison did shut up, from the chief priests having received the authority; they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them,
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| 26:11 |
and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining [them] to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting [them] even unto strange cities.
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| 26:12 |
`In which things, also, going on to Damascus -- with authority and commission from the chief priests --
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| 26:13 |
at mid-day, I saw in the way, O king, out of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me a light -- and those going on with me;
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| 26:14 |
and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? hard for thee against pricks to kick!
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| 26:15 |
`And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute;
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| 26:16 |
but rise, and stand upon thy feet, for for this I appeared to thee, to appoint thee an officer and a witness both of the things thou didst see, and of the things [in which] I will appear to thee,
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| 26:17 |
delivering thee from the people, and the nations, to whom now I send thee,
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| 26:18 |
to open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of the Adversary unto God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified, by faith that [is] toward me.
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| 26:19 |
`Whereupon, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
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| 26:20 |
but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, to all the region also of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to reform, and to turn back unto God, doing works worthy of reformation;
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| 26:21 |
because of these things the Jews -- having caught me in the temple -- were endeavouring to kill [me].
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| 26:22 |
`Having obtained, therefore, help from God, till this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spake of as about to come,
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| 26:23 |
that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a rising from the dead, he is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.'
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| 26:24 |
And, he thus making a defence, Festus with a loud voice said, `Thou art mad, Paul; much learning doth turn thee mad;'
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| 26:25 |
and he saith, `I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness the sayings I speak forth;
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| 26:26 |
for the king doth know concerning these things, before whom also I speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing hath not been done in a corner;
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| 26:27 |
thou dost believe, king Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that thou dost believe!'
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| 26:28 |
And Agrippa said unto Paul, `In a little thou dost persuade me to become a Christian!'
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| 26:29 |
and Paul said, `I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only thee, but also all those hearing me to-day, to become such as I also am -- except these bonds.'
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| 26:30 |
And, he having spoken these things, the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and those sitting with them,
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| 26:31 |
and having withdrawn, they were speaking unto one another, saying -- `This man doth nothing worthy of death or of bonds;'
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| 26:32 |
and Agrippa said to Festus, `This man might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.'
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