And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defence:
I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defence before thee this day touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews:
{Or, because thou art especially expert }especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own nation and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
having knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify, that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
And now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;
unto which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king!
Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?
I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
And this I also did in Jerusalem: and I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.
And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.
{Or, On which errand}Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me.
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against {Greek: goads.}the goad.
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things {Many ancient authorities read which thou hast seen.}wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee;
delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,
to open their eyes, {Or, to turn them}that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
but declared both to them of Damascus first and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judæa, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of {Or, their repentance}repentance.
For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.
Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come;
{Or, if Or, whether}how that the Christ {Or, is subject to suffering}must suffer, and {Or, if Or, whether}how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.
And as he thus made his defence, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning {Greek: turneth thee to madness.}is turning thee mad.
But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness.
For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath not been done in a corner.
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
And Agrippa said unto Paul, {Or, In a little time thou &c.}With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
And Paul said, I would to God, that whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except these bonds.
And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
and when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cæsar.
Querverweise zu Apostelgeschichte 26,20 Apg 26,20
and he took food and was strengthened.And he was certain days with the disciples that were at Damascus.
And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God.
And all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that in Jerusalem made havoc of them that called on this name? and he had come hither for this intent, that he might bring them bound before the chief priests.
But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.
And he was with them going in and going out at Jerusalem,
delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,
And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
And all that dwelt at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together {Greek: in.}with the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Now in these days there came down prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be a great famine over all {Greek: the inhabited earth.}the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius.
And the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send {Greek: for ministry. Compare chapter 6:1.}relief unto the brethren that dwelt in Judea:
which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
preaching boldly in the name of the Lord: and he spake and disputed against the {Greek: Hellenists.}Grecian Jews; but they were seeking to kill him.
And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, {Isaiah 49:6}I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles,That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the uttermost part of the earth.
And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of {Many ancient authorities read the Lord.}God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;
and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like {Greek: nature.}passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that ye should turn from these vain things unto a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:
Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of {Or, your repentance}repentance:
And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
who in the generations gone by suffered all the {Or, Gentiles}nations to walk in their own ways.
And yet He left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.
And with these sayings scarce restrained they the multitudes from doing sacrifice unto them.
But there came Jews thither from Antioch and Iconium: and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
But as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and entered into the city: and on the morrow he went forth with Barnabas to Derbe.
And when they had {Greek: brought good tidings. Compare chapter 5:42.}preached the gospel to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch,
And when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life.
Wherefore my judgment is, that we trouble not them that from among the Gentiles turn to God;
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy {Or, your repentance}of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
And even now the axe also lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
And the multitudes asked him, saying, What then must we do?
And he answered and said unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise.
And there came also {That is collectors or renters of Roman taxes.}publicans to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what must we do?
And he said unto them, Extort no more than that which is appointed you.
And {Greek: soldiers on service.}soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what must we do? And he said unto them, Extort from no man by violence, neither accuse any one wrongfully; and be content with your wages.
and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.
And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles.
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he {Some ancient authorities read declareth to men.}commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto Jehovah;And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
And Zacchæus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold.
And they gave him audience unto this word; and they lifted up their voice, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus {Many ancient authorities omit Christ.}Christ.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
And Jesus said unto him, To-day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
glory not over the branches: but if thou gloriest, it is not thou that bearest the root, but the root thee.
Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep kindness and justice, and wait for thy God continually.
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind,
being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart;
who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, {Or, to make a trade of}to work all uncleanness with {Or, covetousness Compare chapter 5:3; Colossians 3:5.}greediness.
But ye did not so learn Christ;
if so be that ye heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:
that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit;
and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
and put on the new man, {Or, that is after God, created & c.}that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.
Wherefore, putting away falsehood, {Zechariah 8:16.}speak ye truth each one with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.
{Psalm 4:4.}Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your {Greek: provocation.}wrath:
neither give place to the devil.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need.
Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for {Greek: the building up of the need.}edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear.
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice:
and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave {Many ancient authorities read us.}you.
Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a darling child? for as often as I speak against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart {Hebrew: soundeth.}yearneth for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith Jehovah.
Take with you words, and return unto Jehovah: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and {Or, receive us graciously}accept that which is good: so will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips.
Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children;
and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for {Some ancient authorities read you.}us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints;
nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not befitting: but rather giving of thanks.
For this ye know of a surety, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.
Be not ye therefore partakers with them;
for ye were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord: walk as children of light
(for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
proving what is well-pleasing unto the Lord;
and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even {Or, convict}reprove them;
for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of.
But all things when they are {Or, convicted}reproved are made manifest by the light: for everything that is made manifest is light.
Wherefore he saith, {(?). Compare 1 Timothy 3:16.}Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee.
Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise;
{Greek: buying up the opportunity.}redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled {Or, in spirit}with the Spirit;
speaking {Or, to yourselves}one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to {Greek: the God and Father.}God, even the Father;
subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.
Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.
But as the church is subject to Christ, {Or, so are the wives also}so let the wives also be to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord Jehovah. Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; {Or, so shall they not be a stumblingblock of iniquity unto you}so iniquity shall not be your {Hebrew: stumblingblock.}ruin.
Cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord Jehovah: wherefore turn yourselves, and live.
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their God.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
{Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16.}Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise),
that it may be well with thee, and thou {Or, shalt}mayest live long on the {Or, land}earth.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord.
{Greek: Bondservants.}Servants, be obedient unto them that according to the flesh are your {Greek: lords.}masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
not in the way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as {Greek: Bondservants.}servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the {Greek: soul.}heart;
with good will doing service, as unto the Lord, and not unto men:
knowing that whatsoever good thing each one doeth, the same shall he receive again from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
And, ye {Greek: lords.}masters, do the same things unto them, and forbear threatening: knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with him.
Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
But whensoever {Or, a man shall turn}it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
that aged men be temperate, grave, sober-minded, {Greek: healthy.}sound in faith, in love, in {Or, stedfastness}patience:
that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;
that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
to be sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed:
the younger men likewise exhort to be sober-minded:
in all things showing thyself an ensample of good works; in thy doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity,
sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us.
Exhort {Greek: bondservants.}servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing to them in all things; not gainsaying;
not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
For the grace of God {Or, hath appeared to all men, bringing salvation}hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present {Or, age}world;
looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory {Or, of our great God and Saviour}of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God,
as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in the time of your ignorance:
but {Or, like the Holy One who called you}like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living;
because it is written, {Leviticus 11:44 f.; 19:2; 20:7.}Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.
But go ye and learn what this meaneth, {Hosea 6:6.}I desire mercy, and not sacrifice: for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
Which of the two did the will of his father? They say, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the {See marginal note on chapter 5:46.}publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the {See marginal note on chapter 5:46.}publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward, that ye might believe him.
that {Or, he no longer…his time}ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries:
wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same {Or, flood}excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead.
And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge;
and in your knowledge self-control; and in your self-control {Or, stedfastness}patience; and in your {Or, stedfastness}patience godliness;
and in your godliness {Greek: love of the brethren.}brotherly kindness; and in your {Greek: love of the brethren.}brotherly kindness love.
For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish.
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance.
Even so, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
and he said unto them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day;
and that repentance {Some ancient authorities read unto.}and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the {Or, nations. Beginning from Jerusalem, ye are witnesses}nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
For godly sorrow worketh repentance {Or, unto a salvation which bringeth no regret}unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
in meekness {Or, instructing}correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth,
and they may {Greek: return to soberness}recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been {Greek: taken alive.}taken captive {Or, by him, unto the will of God. Compare 2 Corinthians 10:5 Greek: by him, unto the will of him. In the Greek the two pronouns are different.}by him unto his will.
Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy {Greek: lampstands.}candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.
And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they repented not of their works.