1Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You have permission to speak for yourself.’
So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defence: 2‘King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defence against all the accusations of the Jews, 3and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4‘The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 6And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. 7This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 8Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9‘I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
12‘On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,26:14 Or Hebrew “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
15‘Then I asked, “Who are you, Lord?”
‘ “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the Lord replied. 16“Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
19‘So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen – 23that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.’
24At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defence. ‘You are out of your mind, Paul!’ he shouted. ‘Your great learning is driving you insane.’
25‘I am not insane, most excellent Festus,’ Paul replied. ‘What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.’
28Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’
29Paul replied, ‘Short time or long – I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.’
30The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31After they left the room, they began saying to one another, ‘This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.’
32Agrippa said to Festus, ‘This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.’
保羅在亞基帕王面前申辯
1亞基帕對保羅說：「准你為自己辯護。」於是保羅伸手示意，然後為自己辯護說： 2「亞基帕王啊，面對猶太人對我的種種控告，我今天很榮幸可以在你面前申辯， 3尤其是你對猶太習俗和各種爭議都十分熟悉。因此，求你耐心聽我說。
4「我從小在本族和耶路撒冷為人如何，猶太人都知道。 5他們認識我很久了，如果他們肯作證的話，他們可以證明我從小就屬於猶太教中最嚴格的法利賽派。 6現在我站在這裡受審，是因為我盼望上帝給我們祖先的應許。 7我們十二支派日夜虔誠地事奉上帝，盼望這應許能夠實現。王啊！就是因為我有這樣的盼望，才被猶太人控告。 8上帝叫死人復活，你們為什麼認為不可信呢？ 9我自己也曾經認為應該盡一切可能反對拿撒勒人耶穌。 10我在耶路撒冷就是這樣做的。我得到祭司長的授權，把許多聖徒26·10 保羅在這裡指的是信耶穌的基督徒。關進監獄。他們被判死刑，我也表示贊同。 11我多次在各會堂懲罰他們，逼他們說褻瀆的話，我對他們深惡痛絕，甚至到國外的城鎮去追捕、迫害他們。
保羅信主的經過
12「那時，我帶著祭司長的授權和委託去大馬士革。 13王啊！大約中午時分，我在路上看見一道比太陽還亮的光從天上照在我和同行的人周圍。 14我們都倒在地上，我聽見有聲音用希伯來話對我說，『掃羅！掃羅！你為什麼迫害我？你很難用腳去踢刺。』 15我說，『主啊，你是誰？』主說，『我就是你所迫害的耶穌。 16你站起來。我向你顯現，是要派你作我的僕人和見證人，把你所看見的和以後我將啟示給你的事告訴世人。 17我將把你從你的同胞和外族人手中救出來。我差遣你到他們那裡， 18去開他們的眼睛，使他們棄暗投明，脫離魔鬼的權勢，歸向上帝，好叫他們的罪得到赦免，與所有因信我而聖潔的人同得基業。』
保羅放膽傳道
19「亞基帕王啊！我沒有違背這從天上來的異象。 20我先在大馬士革，然後到耶路撒冷、猶太全境和外族人當中勸人悔改歸向上帝，行事為人要與悔改的心相稱。 21就因為這些事，猶太人在聖殿中抓住我，打算殺我。 22然而，我靠著上帝的幫助，到今天還能站在這裡向所有尊卑老幼做見證。我講的不外乎眾先知和摩西說過要發生的事， 23就是基督必須受害，並首先從死裡復活，將光明帶給猶太人和外族人。」
24這時，非斯都打斷保羅的申辯，大聲說：「保羅，你瘋了！一定是你的學問太大，使你神經錯亂了！」
25保羅說：「非斯都大人，我沒有瘋。我講的話真實、合理。 26王瞭解這些事，所以我才敢在王面前直言。我相信這些事沒有一件瞞得過王，因為這些事並非暗地裡做的。 27亞基帕王啊，你信先知嗎？我知道你信。」
28亞基帕王對保羅說：「難道你想三言兩語就說服我成為基督徒嗎？」
29保羅說：「不論話多話少，我求上帝不僅使你，也使今天在座的各位都能像我一樣，只是不要像我這樣帶著鎖鏈。」
30亞基帕王、總督、百妮姬及其他在座的人都站起來， 31走到一邊商量說：「這人沒有做什麼該判死刑或監禁的事。」 32亞基帕王對非斯都說：「這人要是沒有向凱撒上訴，已經可以獲釋了。」
