1 And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching out his hand answered in his defence:2 I count myself happy, king Agrippa, in having to answer to-day before thee concerning all of which I am accused by the Jews,3 especially because thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.4 My manner of life then from my youth, which from its commencement was passed among my nation in Jerusalem, know all the Jews,5 who knew me before from the outset {of my life}, if they would bear witness, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.6 And now I stand to be judged because of the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,7 to which our whole twelve tribes serving incessantly day and night hope to arrive; about which hope, O king, I am accused of {the} Jews.8 Why should it be judged a thing incredible in your sight if God raises the dead?9 *I* indeed myself thought that I ought to do much against the name of Jesus the Nazaraean.10 Which also I did in Jerusalem, and myself shut up in prisons many of the saints, having received the authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote.11 And often punishing them in all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme. And, being exceedingly furious against them, I persecuted them even to cities out {of our own land}.12 And when, {engaged} in this, I was journeying to Damascus, with authority and power from the chief priests,13 at mid-day, on the way, I saw, O king, a light above the brightness of the sun, shining from heaven round about me and those who were journeying with me.14 And, when we were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? {it is} hard for thee to kick against goads.15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, *I* am Jesus whom *thou* persecutest:16 but rise up and stand on thy feet; for, for this purpose have I appeared to thee, to appoint thee to be a servant and a witness both of what thou hast seen, and of what I shall appear to thee in,17 taking thee out from among the people, and the nations, to whom *I* send thee,18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.19 Whereupon, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;20 but have, first to those both in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judaea, and to the nations, announced that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.21 On account of these things the Jews, having seized me in the temple, attempted to lay hands on and destroy me.22 Having therefore met with {the} help which is from God, I have stood firm unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing else than those things which both the prophets and Moses have said should happen,23 {namely,} whether Christ should suffer; whether he first, through resurrection of {the} dead, should announce light both to the people and to the nations.24 And as he answered for his defence with these things, Festus says with a loud voice, Thou art mad, Paul; much learning turns thee to madness.25 But Paul said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but utter words of truth and soberness;26 for the king is informed about these things, to whom also I speak with all freedom. For I am persuaded that of these things nothing is hidden from him; for this was not done in a corner.27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.28 And Agrippa {said} to Paul, In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.29 And Paul {said}, I would to God, both in little and in much, that not only thou, but all who have heard me this day, should become such as *I* also am, except these bonds.30 And the king stood up, and the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them,31 and having gone apart, they spoke to one another saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.32 And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been let go if he had not appealed to Caesar.

1 En Agr¡ppa sê vir Paulus: Dit is jou vergun om vir jouself te spreek. Toe steek Paulus sy hand uit en verdedig homself:2 Ek ag my gelukkig, koning Agr¡ppa, dat ek my voor u vandag gaan verdedig in verband met alles waarvan ek deur die Jode beskuldig word,3 veral omdat u bekend is met al die sedes en vraagstukke onder die Jode. Daarom versoek ek u om my geduldig aan te hoor.4 My lewe dan van my jeug af, wat van die begin af deurgebring is onder my nasie in Jerusalem, ken al die Jode,5 omdat hulle my van die tyd af geken het, as hulle dit wil betuig, hoe ek volgens die strengste party van ons godsdiens as Fariseër geleef het.6 En nou staan ek tereg oor die hoop op die belofte wat aan die vaders deur God gedoen is,7 waartoe ons twaalf stamme wat God aanhoudend dag en nag dien, hoop om te kom; oor hierdie hoop, koning Agr¡ppa, word ek deur die Jode beskuldig.8 Wat? Word dit by u as ongelooflik beskou dat God die dode opwek?9 Wat my betref, ek het gemeen dat ek baie vyandige dinge teen die Naam van Jesus die Nasar,ner moes doen.10 Dit het ek ook in Jerusalem gedoen; en ek het baie van die heiliges in gevangenisse opgesluit, nadat ek van die owerpriesters volmag verkry het; en so dikwels as hulle omgebring is, het ek my toestemming gegee.11 En in al die sinagoges het ek hulle dikwels gestraf en gedwing om te laster; en ek het uitermate teen hulle gewoed en hulle vervolg, selfs tot in die buitelandse stede.12 Toe ek dan daarvoor na Damaskus op reis was, met volmag en opdrag van die owerpriesters,13 het ek, o koning, in die middel van die dag op die pad 'n lig uit die hemel gesien, sterker as die glans van die son, wat my en my reisgenote omstraal het.14 En toe ons almal op die grond val, hoor ek 'n stem met my spreek en in die Hebreeuse taal sê: Saul, Saul, waarom vervolg jy My? Dit is hard vir jou om teen die prikkels te skop.15 Toe sê ek: Wie is U, Here? En Hy sê: Ek is Jesus wat jy vervolg.16 Maar rig jou op en staan op jou voete, want hiertoe het Ek aan jou verskyn om jou te bestem tot 'n dienaar en getuie van die dinge wat jy gesien het en van die dinge waarin Ek nog aan jou sal verskyn,17 terwyl Ek jou verlos uit die volk en die heidene na wie Ek jou nou stuur,18 om hulle oë te open, dat hulle hul van die duisternis tot die lig kan bekeer en van die mag van die Satan tot God, sodat hulle deur die geloof in My vergifnis van sondes en 'n erfdeel onder die geheiligdes kan ontvang.19 Daarom, koning Agr¡ppa, was ek aan die hemelse gesig nie ongehoorsaam nie,20 maar ek het eers aan die mense in Damaskus en in Jerusalem en in die hele land van Judia en aan die heidene verkondig dat hulle tot inkeer moet kom en hulle tot God bekeer deur werke te doen wat by die bekering pas.21 Om hierdie rede het die Jode my in die tempel gevang en my probeer ombring.22 Maar omdat ek hulp van God verkry het, staan ek tot vandag toe en getuig aan klein en groot, en spreek niks buiten wat die profete en ook Moses gesê het dat sou gebeur nie:23 dat die Christus moes ly en die eerste wees uit die opstanding van die dode, en 'n lig aan die volk en die heidene sou verkondig.24 Maar terwyl hy hom so verdedig, sê Festus met 'n groot stem: Jy is kranksinnig, Paulus; die groot geleerdheid bring jou tot kranksinnigheid.25 Maar hy sê: Ek is nie kranksinnig nie, hoogedele Festus, maar ek spreek woorde van waarheid en gesonde verstand.26 Want die koning, met wie ek ook vrymoediglik spreek, weet van hierdie dinge; want ek glo nie dat aan hom iets van hierdie dinge onbekend is nie, want dit het nie in 'n hoek gebeur nie.27 Glo u die profete, koning Agr¡ppa? Ek weet dat u glo.28 En Agr¡ppa sê vir Paulus: Jy beweeg my byna om 'n Christen te word.29 En Paulus sê: Ek sou wel God wil bid dat sowel byna as heeltemal nie alleen u nie, maar ook almal wat my vandag aanhoor, so mag word soos ek is, buiten hierdie boeie.30 En nadat Paulus dit gesê het, staan die koning op en die goewerneur en Bern¡ce en die wat saam met hulle gesit het.31 En toe hulle weggaan, praat hulle met mekaar en sê: Hierdie man doen niks wat die dood of die boeie verdien nie.32 En Agr¡ppa sê vir Festus: Hierdie man kon losgelaat gewees het as hy hom nie op die keiser beroep het nie.