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25:13
After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice
arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. 14Since they
were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul’s
case before the king, saying, ‘There is a man here
who was left in prison by Felix. 15When I was in Jerusalem,
the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed
me about him and asked for a sentence against him. 16I
told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to
hand over anyone before the accused had met the accusers
face to face and had been given an opportunity to make
a defence against the charge. 17So when they met here,
I lost no time, but on the next day took my seat on
the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18When
the accusers stood up, they did not charge him with
any of the crimes* that I was expecting. 19Instead they
had certain points of disagreement with him about their
own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died,
but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20Since I was at
a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether
he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these
charges.* 21But when Paul had appealed to be kept in
custody for the decision of his Imperial Majesty, I
ordered him to be held until I could send him to the
emperor.’ 22Agrippa said to Festus, ‘I would like
to hear the man myself.’ ‘Tomorrow’, he said, ‘you
will hear him.’
23 So on the next day Agrippa and
Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience
hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men
of the city. Then Festus gave the order and Paul was
brought in. 24And Festus said, ‘King Agrippa and all
here present with us, you see this man about whom the
whole Jewish community petitioned me, both in Jerusalem
and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
25But I found that he had done nothing deserving death;
and when he appealed to his Imperial Majesty, I decided
to send him. 26But I have nothing definite to write
to our sovereign about him. Therefore I have brought
him before all of you, and especially before you, King
Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may
have something to write? 27for it seems to me unreasonable
to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against
him.’
26:1
Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You have permission to speak
for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and
began to defend himself:
2
‘I consider myself fortunate that it is before you,
King Agrippa, I am to make my defence today against
all the accusations of the Jews, 3because you are especially
familiar with all the customs and controversies of the
Jews; therefore I beg of you to listen to me patiently.
4
‘All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, a
life spent from the beginning among my own people and
in Jerusalem. 5They have known for a long time, if they
are willing to testify, that I have belonged to the
strictest sect of our religion and lived as a Pharisee.
6And now I stand here on trial on account of my hope
in the promise made by God to our ancestors, 7a promise
that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly
worship day and night. It is for this hope, your Excellency,*
that I am accused by Jews! 8Why is it thought incredible
by any of you that God raises the dead?
9
‘Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do
many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.*
10And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority
received from the chief priests, I not only locked up
many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote
against them when they were being condemned to death.
11By punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried
to force them to blaspheme; and since I was so furiously
enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
12
‘With this in mind, I was travelling to Damascus with
the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13when
at midday along the road, your Excellency,* I saw a
light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around
me and my companions. 14When we had all fallen to the
ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew*
language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
It hurts you to kick against the goads.” 15I asked,
“Who are you, Lord?” The Lord answered, “I am Jesus
whom you are persecuting. 16But get up and stand on
your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose,
to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in
which you have seen me* and to those in which I will
appear to you. 17I will rescue you from your people
and from the Gentiles?to whom I am sending you 18to
open their eyes so that they may turn 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 ‘After
that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly
vision, 20but declared first to those in Damascus, then
in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea,
and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and
turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance.
21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and
tried to kill me. 22To this day I have had help from
God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and
great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses
said would take place: 23that the Messiah* must suffer,
and that, by being the first to rise from the dead,
he would proclaim light both to our people and to the
Gentiles.’
24 While he was making this defence,
Festus exclaimed, ‘You are out of your mind, Paul!
Too much learning is driving you insane!’ 25But Paul
said, ‘I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus,
but I am speaking the sober truth. 26Indeed the king
knows about these things, and to him I speak freely;
for I am certain that none of these things has escaped
his notice, for this was not done in a corner. 27King
Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you
believe.’ 28Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Are you so quickly
persuading me to become a Christian?’* 29Paul replied,
‘Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only
you but also all who are listening to me today might
become such as I am?except for these chains.’
30
Then the king got up, and with him the governor and
Bernice and those who had been seated with them; 31and
as they were leaving, they said to one another, ‘This
man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.’
32Agrippa said to Festus, ‘This man could have been
set free if he had not appealed to the emperor.’
13 過了些日子、亞基帕王、和百尼基氏、來到該撒利亞、問非斯都安。
14 在那裡住了多日、非斯都將保羅的事告訴王、說、這裡有一個人、是腓力斯留在監裡的。
15 我在耶路撒冷的時候、祭司長和猶太的長老、將他的事稟報了我、求我定他的罪。
16 我對他們說、無論甚麼人、被告還沒有和原告對質、未得機會分訴所告他的事、就先定他的罪、這不是羅馬人的條例。17 及至他們都來到這裡、我就不耽延、第二天便坐堂、吩咐把那人提上來。
18 告他的人站著告他．所告的、並沒有我所逆料的那等惡事．
19 不過是有幾樣辯論、為他們自己敬鬼神的事、又為一個人名叫耶穌、是已經死了、保羅卻說他是活著的。
20 這些事當怎樣究問、我心裡作難．所以問他說、你願意上耶路撒冷去、在那裡為這些事聽審麼。
21 但保羅求我留下他要聽皇上審斷、我就吩咐把他留下、等我解他到該撒那裡去。
22 亞基帕對非斯都說、我自己也願聽這人辯論。非斯都說、明天你可以聽。
23 第二天、亞基帕和百尼基大張威勢而來、同著眾千夫長、和城裡的尊貴人、進了公廳．非斯都吩咐一聲、就有人將保羅帶進來。
24 非斯都說、亞基帕王、和在這裡的諸位阿、你們看人、就是一切猶太人在耶路撒冷、和這裡、曾向我懇求、呼叫說、不可容他再活著。
25 但我查明他沒有犯甚麼該死的罪．並且他自己上告於皇帝、所以我定意把他解去。
26 論到這人、我沒有確實的事、可以奏明主上．因此我帶他到你們面前、也特意帶他到你亞基帕王面前、為要在查問之後、有所陳奏。
27 據我看來、解送囚犯、不指明他的罪案、是不合理的。 26:1 亞基帕對保羅說、准你為自己辯明。於是保羅伸手分訴說、
2 亞基帕王阿、猶太人所告我的一切事、今日得在你面前分訴、實為萬幸．
3 更可幸的、是你熟悉猶太人的規矩、和他們的辯論．所以求你耐心聽我。
4 我從起初在本國的民中、並在耶路撒冷、自幼為人如何、猶太人都知道．
5 他們若肯作見證、就曉得我從起初、是按著我們教中最嚴緊的教門、作了法利賽人。
6 現在我站在這裡受審、是因為指望 神向我們祖宗所應許的．
7 這應許、我們十二個支派、晝夜切切的事奉 神、都指望得著．王阿、我被猶太人控告、就是因這指望。
8 神叫死人復活、你們為甚麼看作不可信的呢。9 從前我自己以為應當多方攻擊拿撒勒人耶穌的名。
10 我在耶路撒冷也曾這樣行了．既從祭司長得了權柄、我就把許多聖徒囚在監裡．他們被殺、我也出名定案。
11 在各會堂、我屢次用刑、強逼他們說褻瀆的話．又分外惱恨他們、甚至追逼他們直到外邦的城邑。
12 那時、我領了祭司長的權柄和命令、往大馬色去。
13 王阿、我在路上、晌午的時候、看見從天發光、比日頭還亮、四面照著我、並與我同行的人。
14 我們都仆倒在地、我就聽見有聲音、用希伯來話、向我說、掃羅、掃羅、為甚麼逼迫我．你用腳踢刺是難的。
15 我說、主阿、你是誰。主說、我就是你所逼迫的耶穌。
16 你起來站著、我特意向你顯現、要派你作執事作見證、將你所看見的事、和我將要指示你的事、證明出來．
17 我也要救你脫離百姓和外邦人的手。
18 我差你到他們那裡去、要叫他們的眼睛得開、從黑暗中歸向光明、從撒但權下歸向 神．又因信我、得蒙赦罪、和一切成聖的人同得基業。
19 亞基帕王阿、我故此沒有違背那從天上來的異象．
20 先在大馬色、後在耶路撒冷、和猶太全地、以及外邦、勸勉他們應當悔改歸向 神、行事與悔改的心相稱。
21 因此、猶太人在殿裡拿住我、想要殺我。
22 然而我蒙 神的幫助、直到今日還站得住、對著尊貴卑賤老幼作見證．所講的、並不外乎眾先知和摩西所說、將來必成的事．
23 就是基督必須受害、並且因從死裡復活、要首先把光明的道、傳給百姓和外邦人。
24 保羅這樣分訴、非斯都大聲說、保羅、你癲狂了罷．你的學問太大、反叫你癲狂了。
25 保羅說、非斯都大人、我不是癲狂、我說的乃是真實明白話。
26 王也曉得這些事、所以我向王放膽直言、我深信這些事沒有一件向王隱藏的．因都不是在背地裡作的。
27 亞基帕王阿、你信先知麼、我知道你是信的。
28 亞基帕對保羅說、你想少微一勸、便叫我作基督徒阿。〔或作你這樣勸我幾乎叫我作基督徒了〕
29 保羅說、無論是少勸、是多勸、我向 神所求的、不但你一個人、就是今天一切聽我的、都要像我一樣、只是不要像我有這些鎖鍊。
30 於是王、和巡撫、並百尼基、與同坐的人、都起來、
31 退到裡面、彼此談論說、這人並沒有犯甚麼該死該綁的罪。
32 亞基帕又對非斯都說、這人若沒有上告於該撒、就可以釋放了。 |