Paul's Defense before Agrippa
1 Agrippa told Paul, “You may now speak for yourself.”
Paul stretched out his hand and said:
2 King Agrippa, I am glad for this chance to defend myself before you today on all these charges my own people have brought against me. 3 You know a lot about our religious customs and the beliefs that divide us. So I ask you to listen patiently to me.
4-5 All the Jews have known me since I was a child. They know what kind of life I have lived in my own country and in Jerusalem. And if they were willing, they could tell you I was a Pharisee, a member of a group that is stricter than any other. 6 Now I am on trial because I believe the promise God made to our people long ago.
7 Day and night our twelve tribes have earnestly served God, waiting for his promised blessings. King Agrippa, because of this hope, some of our leaders have brought charges against me. 8 Why should any of you doubt that God raises the dead to life?
9 I once thought that I should do everything I could to oppose Jesus from Nazareth. 10 I did this first in Jerusalem, and with the authority of the chief priests I put many of God's people in jail. I even voted for them to be killed. 11 I often had them punished in our synagogues, and I tried to make them give up their faith. In fact, I was so angry with them, that I went looking for them in foreign cities.
12 King Agrippa, one day I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and permission of the chief priests. 13 About noon I saw a light brighter than the sun. It flashed from heaven on me and on everyone traveling with me. 14 We all fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice say to me in Aramaic, “Saul, Saul, why are you so cruel to me? It's foolish to fight against me!”
15 “Who are you?” I asked.
Then the Lord answered, “I am Jesus! I am the one you are so cruel to. 16 Now stand up. I have appeared to you, because I have chosen you to be my servant. You are to tell others what you have learned about me and what I will show you later.”
17 The Lord also said, “I will protect you from the Jews and from the Gentiles that I am sending you to. 18 I want you to open their eyes, so they will turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then their sins will be forgiven, and by faith in me they will become part of God's holy people.”
19 King Agrippa, I obeyed this vision from heaven. 20 First I preached to the people in Damascus, and then I went to Jerusalem and all over Judea. Finally, I went to the Gentiles and said, “Stop sinning and turn to God! Then prove what you have done by the way you live.”
21 That is why some men grabbed me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 But all this time God has helped me, and I have preached both to the rich and to the poor. I have told them only what the prophets and Moses said would happen. 23 I told them how the Messiah would suffer and be the first to be raised from death, so he could bring light to his own people and to the Gentiles.
24 Before Paul finished defending himself, Festus shouted, “Paul, you're crazy! Too much learning has driven you out of your mind.”
25 But Paul replied, “Honorable Festus, I am not crazy. What I am saying is true, and it makes sense. 26 None of these things happened off in a corner somewhere. I am sure that King Agrippa knows what I am talking about. That's why I can speak so plainly to him.”
27 Then Paul said to Agrippa, “Do you believe what the prophets said? I know you do.”
28 Agrippa asked Paul, “In such a short time do you think you can talk me into being a Christian?”
29 Paul answered, “Whether it takes a short time or a long time, I wish you and everyone else who hears me today would become just like me! Except, of course, for these chains.”
30 Then King Agrippa, Governor Festus, Bernice, and everyone who was with them got up. 31 But before they left, they said, “This man isn't guilty of anything. He doesn't deserve to die or to be put in jail.”
32 Agrippa told Festus, “Paul could have been set free, if he had not asked to be tried by the Roman Emperor.”
Pāvils aizstāvas Agripas priekšā
1 Agripa sacīja Pāvilam: “Tev ir ļauts par sevi runāt.” Tad Pāvils pacēla roku un sevis aizstāvībai sacīja: 2 “Es uzskatu sevi par laimīgu, ķēniņ Agripa, ka tieši tavā priekšā man ir jāaizstāvas pret visu to, par ko jūdi mani apsūdz, 3 jo tev vislabāk ir pazīstamas jūdu ieražas un svarīgākie jautājumi, tādēļ es tevi lūdzu uzmanīgi mani uzklausīt. 4 Tiešām, manu dzīvi visi jūdi zina jau no manas jaunības, kā tā sākumā ritēja manā tautā Jeruzālemē, 5 labi pazīdami mani no paša sākuma, kad es dzīvoju kā visstingrākā novirziena dievbijīgs farizejs, – ja vien viņi gribētu par mani liecināt. 6 Tagad, šeit stāvot, es tieku tiesāts par cerību, ko Dievs caur apsolījumu devis mūsu tēviem, – 7 par cerību, ko mūsu divpadsmit ciltis cer sasniegt, nepārtraukti kalpojot Dievam dienu un nakti. Par šo cerību, ķēniņ, jūdi mani apsūdz. 8 Kas tad, pēc jūsu atzinuma, tur ir neticams, ja Dievs uzmodina mirušos? 9 Man gan pašam šķita, ka man jādarbojas Jēzus, Nācarieša, vārdam pretī, cik vien iespējams. 10 To Jeruzālemē es arī darīju un, saņēmis no virspriesteriem pilnvaru, daudzus svētos esmu slēdzis cietumā, un, kad tie bija jānogalina, arī es par to balsoju. 11 Pa visām sinagogām es bieži viņus sodīju, daudz un dažādi spiedu viņus zaimot un, pār mēru trakodams, vajāju viņus pat svešās pilsētās.
Pāvils stāsta par notikumu uz Damaskas ceļa
(Apd 9:1–19Apd 22:6–16)12 Ar tādu nolūku es devos uz Damasku ar virspriesteru pilnvaru un pavēli, 13 un, dienas vidū pa ceļu ejot, ak, ķēniņ, es ieraudzīju gaismu no debesīm, spožāku par sauli, kas apspīdēja mani un manus ceļabiedrus. 14 Mēs nokritām visi pie zemes, un es dzirdēju balsi uzrunājam mani ebreju valodā: Saul, Saul, kādēļ tu mani vajā? Grūti tev ir pret dzelksni spārdīt. 15 Bet es jautāju: Kungs, kas tu esi? Kungs sacīja: es esmu Jēzus, ko tu vajā. 16 Celies augšā un nostājies uz savām kājām; es parādījos tev tādēļ, ka esmu izraudzījis tevi par kalpu un liecinieku tam, ko tu redzēji un ko es tev rādīšu. 17 Es tevi izrāvu laukā no šīs tautas un no pagāniem, pie kuriem es tevi sūtīšu, 18 lai tu atvērtu viņu acis un viņi atgrieztos no tumsas gaismā, no sātana varas pie Dieva, lai saņemtu grēku piedošanu un ticībā uz mani iemantotu vietu starp svētajiem.
Pāvila liecība jūdiem un pagāniem
19 Tādēļ, ķēniņ Agripa, es nevarēju būt nepaklausīgs redzējumam no debesīm. 20 Vispirms damaskiešiem, pēc tam jeruzālemiešiem un visā jūdu zemē, un arī pagāniem es sludināju grēku nožēlu, lai tie atgriežas pie Dieva un dara grēku nožēlas cienīgus darbus. 21 Tādēļ jūdi sagūstīja mani templī un gribēja noslepkavot. 22 Bet palīdzība no Dieva man ir nākusi līdz pat šai dienai, un es stāvu šeit, liecinādams kā maziem, tā lieliem, ka nerunāju neko, ko nebūtu pravietojuši Mozus un pravieši – 23 ka Kristum bija jācieš, ka viņš ir pirmais, kam bija augšāmcelties no mirušajiem, pasludinot gaismu šai tautai un pagāniem.”
Pāvils aicina Agripu ticēt evaņģēlijam
24 Pāvilam tā runājot, Fēsts skaļā balsī sacīja: “Tu esi traks, Pāvil, tavas pārlieku lielās zināšanas padara tevi traku.” 25 Bet Pāvils atbildēja: “Es neesmu traks, augsti cienījamais Fēst, bet paužu patiesības un saprāta vārdus. 26 Arī ķēniņš, kuram es atklāti to stāstīju, to zina. Es neticu, ka viņam ir palicis kaut kas apslēpts, jo tas taču nav darīts kādā nomaļā kaktā. 27 Vai tu tici praviešiem, ķēniņ Agripa? Es zinu, ka tu tici.” 28 Bet Agripa sacīja Pāvilam: “Nu jau tu mani mēģini padarīt par kristieti.” 29 Tad Pāvils atbildēja: “Es lūdzu Dievu, lai agrāk vai vēlāk ne vien tu, bet arī visi pārējie, kas šodien manī klausās, kļūtu tādi paši, kāds esmu es, tikai bez šīm važām.” 30 Tad ķēniņš, vietvaldis un Berenīke, un tie, kas sēdēja kopā ar viņiem, piecēlās 31 un, iedami prom, cits citam sacīja: “Šis cilvēks nav darījis nekā tāda, ka būtu pelnījis nāvi vai važas.” 32 Bet Agripa sacīja Fēstam: “Šo cilvēku varētu atlaist, ja vien viņš nebūtu piesaucis cēzaru.”
