Atos 26

navnlig fordi du er kendt med alle Jødernes Skikke og Stridsspørgsmål; derfor beder jeg dig om, at du tålmodigt vil høre mig.

Mit Levned fra Ungdommen af, som fra Begyndelsen har været ført iblandt mit Folk og i Jerusalem, vide alle Jøderne Besked om;

thi de kende mig i Forvejen lige fra først af (om de ellers ville vidne), at jeg har levet som Farisæer efter det strengeste Parti i vor Gudsdyrkelse.

Og nu står jeg her og dømmes for Håbet på den Forjættelse, som er given af Gud til vore Fædre,

og som vort Tolvstammefolk håber at nå frem til, idet de tjene Gud uafladeligt Nat og Dag; for dette Håbs Skyld anklages jeg af Jøder, o Konge!

Hvor kan det holdes for utroligt hos eder, at Gud oprejser døde?

Jeg selv mente nu også at burde gøre meget imod Jesu, Nazaræerens Navn,

og det gjorde jeg også i Jerusalem; og jeg indespærrede mange af de hellige i Fængsler, da jeg havde fået Fuldmagt dertil af Ypperstepræsterne, og når de bleve slåede ihjel, gav jeg min Stemme dertil.

Og i alle Synagogerne lod jeg dem ofte straffe og tvang dem til at tale bespotteligt, og rasende end mere imod dem forfulgte jeg dem endog til de udenlandske Byer.

Da jeg i dette Øjemed drog til Damaskus med Fuldmagt og Myndighed fra Ypperstepræsterne,

så jeg undervejs midt på Dagen, o Konge! et Lys fra Himmelen, som overgik Solens Glans, omstråle mig og dem, som rejste med mig.

Men da vi alle faldt til Jorden, hørte jeg en Røst, som sagde til mig i det hebraiske Sprog: Saul! Saul! hvorfor forfølger du mig? det bliver dig hårdt at stampe imod Brodden.

Og jeg sagde: Hvem er du, Herre? Men Herren sagde: Jeg er Jesus, som du forfølger.

Men rejs dig og stå på dine Fødder; thi derfor har jeg vist mig for dig, for at udkåre dig til Tjener og Vidne, både om det, som du har set, og om mine kommende Åbenbaringer for dig,

idet jeg udfrier dig fra Folket og fra Hedningerne, til hvilke jeg udsender dig

for at oplade deres Øjne, så de må omvende sig fra Mørke til Lys og fra Satans Magt til Gud, for at de kunne få Syndernes Forladelse og Lod iblandt dem, som ere helligede ved Troen på mig.

Derfor, Kong Agrippa! blev jeg ikke ulydig imod det himmelske Syn;

men jeg forkyndte både først for dem i Damaskus og så i Jerusalem og over hele Judæas Land og for Hedningerne, at de skulde fatte et andet Sind og omvende sig til Gud og gøre Gerninger, Omvendelsen værdige.

For denne Sags Skyld grebe nogle Jøder mig i Helligdommen og forsøgte at slå mig ihjel.

Det er altså ved den Hjælp, jeg har fået fra Gud, at jeg har stået indtil denne Dag og vidnet både for små og store, idet jeg intet siger ud over det, som både Profeterne og Moses have sagt skulde ske,

Thi Kongen ved Besked om dette, og til ham taler jeg frimodigt, efterdi jeg er vis på, at slet intet af dette er skjult for ham; thi dette er ikke sket i en Vrå.

Da stod Kongen op og Landshøvdingen og Berenike og de, som sade hos dem.

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

Especially {because I know} thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

Unto which {promise} our twelve tribes, instantly serving {God} day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. {day and night: Gr. night and day}

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

I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against {them}.

And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled {them} to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted {them} even unto strange cities.

Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? {it is} hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

Delivering thee from the people, and {from} the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

To open their eyes, {and} to turn {them} from darkness to light, and {from} the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and {then} to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill {me}.

Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

That Christ should suffer, {and} that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.