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 亚基帕对保罗说： "准你为自己申辩。"于是保罗伸手辩护说：
2 "亚基帕王啊， 犹太人控告我的事， 今天我可以在你面前辩护， 实在是万幸；
3 特别是你熟悉犹太人的一切规例和争论， 所以求你耐心听我申诉：
4 我从幼年到现在， 在本国、在耶路撒冷为人怎样， 犹太人都知道。
5 如果他们肯作证的话， 他们是早就知道， 我是按着我们祖宗最严格的教派， 过着法利赛人的生活。
6 现在我站着受审， 是为了对 神向我们祖先的应许存着盼望。
7 我们十二支派昼夜切切地事奉 神， 都是盼望这应许实现。王啊， 我被犹太人控告， 正是为了这个盼望。
8 神使死人复活， 你们为什么认为是不可信的呢？
9 从前， 我也认为应该多方敌对拿撒勒人耶稣的名。
10 后来就在耶路撒冷这样作了。我得到了众祭司长授权， 把许多圣徒关在监里， 并且他们被杀的时候， 我也表示同意。
11 我在各会堂里多次用刑强迫他们说亵渎的话； 我非常愤恨他们， 甚至追到国外的城巿去迫害他们。
12 "那时候， 我得到祭司长的授权和准许， 去大马士革。
13 王啊， 就在中午的时候， 我在路上看见一道光， 比太阳更明亮， 从天上四面照着我和同行的人。
14 我们都仆倒在地上， 我听见有声音用希伯来话对我说： ‘扫罗！ 扫罗！ 你为什么迫害我？你要踢刺是难的。’
15 我说： ‘主啊， 你是谁？’主说： ‘我就是你所迫害的耶稣。
16 你起来， 站着， 我向你显现， 是要指派你为我工作。你要为你所见过的事， 和我将要向你显明的事作见证。
17 我要救你脱离这人民和外族人， 差遣你到他们那里去，
18 开他们的眼睛， 使他们从黑暗中归向光明， 从撒但的权下归向 神， 使他们的罪恶得到赦免， 并且在那些因信我而成圣的人中同得基业。’
19 "亚基帕王啊， 因此， 我没有违背这从天上来的异象，
20 先向大马士革、耶路撒冷、犹太全地的人宣讲， 后向外族人宣讲， 叫他们悔改， 归向 神， 行事与悔改的心相称。
21 犹太人就是为了这缘故在殿里捉住我， 想要杀我。
22 然而， 我得到 神的帮助， 直到今日还是站得稳， 向尊卑老幼作见证， 我所讲的都是众先知和摩西所论的将来必成的事，
23 就是基督必须受难， 并且从死人中首先复活， 把光明的信息传报给这人民和外族人。"
24 保罗申诉到这里， 非斯都大声说： "保罗！ 你疯了； 你的学问太大， 使你疯了！ "
25 保罗说： "非斯都大人， 我没有疯， 我说的都是真实的话， 清醒的话。
26 因为王知道这些事， 所以我对王坦白直说。我确信这些事没有一件能瞒得过他， 因为这不是在背地里作的。
27 亚基帕王啊， 你信先知吗？我知道你是信的。"
28 亚基帕对保罗说： "你想用这样短短的时间就可以说服我作基督徒吗！ "
29 保罗说： "无论时间短也好， 时间长也好， 我向 神所求的， 不单是你， 而且是今天所有的听众， 都能像我一样作基督徒， 只是不要有这些锁链。"
30 亚基帕王、总督和百尼基， 还有在座的人都站起来，
31 退到一边， 彼此谈论， 说： "这个人并没有犯过什么该死该绑的罪。"
32 亚基帕对非斯都说： "这个人若没有向凯撒上诉， 早就可以释放了。"