Acts 26

Paul’s Defense before Agrippa

1Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”

Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: 2“I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4“All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. # 26:3–4 Ac 6:14; 25:19; Gl 1:13 5They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee. # 26:5 Ac 22:3; 23:6; Php 3:5 6And now I stand on trial because of the hope # 26:6 Ac 24:15; 28:20 in what God promised # 26:6 Ac 13:32; Rm 15:8 to our ancestors, 7the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope. # 26:7 Php 3:11; 1Th 3:10; 1Tm 5:5; Jms 1:1 8Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? 9In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. # 26:9 Jn 16:2; 1Tm 1:13 10I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them. # 26:10 Ac 8:3; 9:13–14,21; 22:5,20 11In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme. # 26:11 Ac 25:21,25; 26:32; 28:19 Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

Paul’s Account of His Conversion and Commission

12“I was traveling to Damascus under # 26:12–18 Ac 9:3–8; 22:6–11 these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests. 13King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, # 26:14 Or Hebrew ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ # 26:14 Ac 9:7; 21:40

15“I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord? ’

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. # 26:16 Ezk 2:1; Dn 10:11; Ac 22:14–15 17I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them # 26:17 1Ch 16:35; Jr 1:8,19; Ac 9:15 18to open their eyes # 26:18 Is 35:5; 42:7 so that they may turn # 26:18 Or to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ # 26:18 Ac 20:32; Eph 5:8; Col 1:13; 1Pt 2:9

19“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. # 26:20 Mt 3:8; Lk 3:8; Ac 9:19–20,22,26–29; 13:46; 22:17–20 21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me. 22To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place # 26:22 Lk 24:27; Ac 10:43; 24:14 — 23that the Messiah would suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.” # 26:23 Lk 24:26; 1Co 15:20,23; Col 1:18; Rv 1:5

Agrippa Not Quite Persuaded

24As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You’re out of your mind, # 26:24 2Kg 9:11; Jn 10:20; 1Co 1:23; 2:14; 4:10 Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.”

25But Paul replied, “I’m not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I’m speaking words of truth and good judgment. # 26:25 Ac 23:26; 24:3 26For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak boldly to him. For I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe.”

28Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily? ” # 26:28 Or so quickly

29“I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty, # 26:29 Or whether a short time or long not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am — except for these chains.” # 26:28–29 Ac 11:26; 21:33; 1Co 7:7

30The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, 31and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.” # 26:30–31 Ac 23:9,29; 25:23

32Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.” # 26:32 Ac 25:11; 28:18

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Gevurot Meyruach Hakodesh 26

1And Agrippa said to Rav Sha'ul, It is permitted for you to speak concerning yourself. Then Rav Sha'ul, having stretched out his hand, was making his hitstaddekut (defense), saying,

2I have considered myself fortunate that it is before you, Agrippa HaMelech, that I am able to make my hitstaddekut today concerning everything of which I am accused by Yehudim. 3Most of all, you are a bukki (expert, meivin) in all the minhagim and issues of the Yehudim; therefore, I beg you to listen patiently to me.

4All the Yehudim have da'as of my Yiddishkeit from my earliest youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Yerushalayim. 5They have had da'as of this for a long time, if they are willing to bear edut, that according to the most machmir kat of our Orthodox Jewish faith my life has been lived out as a Parush. 6And now I stand here on trial on account of my tikvah in the havtacha made to Avoteinu, 7A havtacha Sheneym Asar Shevateinu have tikvah to attain, as they with earnestness worship Hashem yomam valailah. It if for this tikvah, your Excellency, that I am accused by Yehudim! 8Why is it considered incredible by any of you that Hashem makes the Mesim to stand up alive?

9Indeed, I myself thought it necessary to do many opposing things against ha-Shem of Yehoshua from Natzeret. 10And these things I also did in Yerushalayim; and armed with samchut received from the Rashei Hakohanim, many of the kedoshim I locked up in the beis hasohar; and I cast my vote keneged (against) them when they received the death penalty. 11And throughout all the shuls I often punished them, forcing them to commit Chillul Hashem gidduf (blasphemy), and since I was so enraged against them, I was bringing redifah on them even as far as foreign cities.

12And while doing these very things, as I was traveling to Damascus with authorization and permission from the Rashei Hakohanim, 13At noon on the derech, O Melech, I saw from Shomayim an ohr, more brilliant than the shemesh, shining around me and around the ones traveling with me. 14And we all fell down to the ground. Then I heard a kol saying to me in the language of the Hebrews, Sha'ul, Sha'ul, why are you bringing redifah upon me? It is hard for you to kick keneged (against) the prod. 15And I said, Who are you Adoni? And HaAdon said, I am Yehoshua upon whom you are bringing redifah. 16But get up and stand on your feet. For this tachlis, then, I appeared to you, to give you s'michah as a mesharet, an eved, and an eidus (witness), both of what things you have seen and the things which I will reveal to you.#26:16 Ezek 2:1; Dan 10:11 17I will deliver you from your own people and from the Goyim to whom I am sending you,#26:17 Jer 1:8,19 18To open their eyes, to turn them from choshech to ohr and from the samchut of HaSatan to Hashem, that they receive selichat avon and nachalah among the ones having been set apart in kedushah by emunah in me.#26:18 Isa 35:5; Ps 18:28; Isa 42:7,16

19O Agrippa HaMelech, I was not disobedient to the chazon from Shomayim.#26:19 Isa 50:5 20But beginning with the ones in Damascus and also with those in Yerushalayim, and with all the region of Yehudah and with the Goyim, I was preaching they should make teshuva and turn to Hashem, doing ma'asim worthy of teshuva.#26:20 Jer 18:11; 35:15 21Because of these things, the unbelieving Yehudim seized me while I was in the Beis Hamikdash, and were trying to kill me. 22To this day I have obtained ezer (help) from Hashem, to stand and give solemn edut (testimony) before both ketanim and Gedolim, testifying about nothing beyond the Orthodox Jewish faith based on what the Nevi'im and Moshe Rabbenu said would happen: 23That is, the yissurim (sufferings) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and that by being rishon to stand up alive in the Techiyas HaMoshiach, he would proclaim ohr both to K'lal Yisroel and the Nations.

24And while he was saying these things in his hitstaddekut, Festus in a kol gadol shouts, Rav Sha'ul, all your yeshiva learning has made you meshuggah! 25But Rav Sha'ul says, I am not meshuggah, most excellent Festus; I am speaking devarim of Emes and Ta'am (Reason). 26For HaMelech has da'as of these matters, to whom also I am speaking freely, for I am sure that absolutely none of these things escape his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27Agrippa HaMelech, do you believe in the Nevi'im? I have da'as that you do believe. 28And Agrippa said to Rav Sha'ul, You think, do you, that as quick as that you can make me mekabel Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach? 29But Rav Sha'ul said, I would daven that Hashem, quickly or not, might make not only you but all listening to me today as I am, apart from these sharsherot (chains).

30HaMelech and the Moshel and Bernice and the ones sitting with them got up. 31And having withdrawn, they were saying to one another, This man does nothing worthy of the death penalty or imprisonment. 32And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been released, if he had not appealed to Caesar.

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