1Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense 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,⚓‘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 them18to 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 defense. “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.”
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Paulus Hais Daws Nws Zaj Tabmeeg Akipas
1Vajntxwv Akipas hais rau Paulus hais tias, “Kuv cia koj hais daws koj zaj.” Paulus xyab hlo tes thiab hais daws nws zaj li no: 2“Vajntxwv Akipas, kuv zoo siab kawg li, hnub no kuv tau los sawv ntawm koj xubntiag hais daws txhua zaj uas cov Yudais nkaug kuv hais tias kuv ua txhaum rau koj mloog, 3rau qhov koj yeej paub cov Yudais tej kevcai thiab tej uas peb cov Yudais hais tsis sib haum lawm. Yog li ntawd, thov koj ua siab ntev mloog kuv hais. 4“Txij thaum kuv yau los txog niaj hnub no, kuv lub neej zoo li cas los cov Yudais puavleej paub huv tibsi. Kuv yeej nrog kuv haivneeg nyob hlob hauv kuv lub tebchaws thiab hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees. 5Lawv yeej ibtxwm paub kuv thaum ub los lawm. Yog lawv kam ua timkhawv, lawv yeej ua tau timkhawv hais tias kuv yog ib tug Falixais uas yog pab coj nruj. 6Nimno kuv tuaj sawv ntawm no twb yog vim kuv cia siab rau tej uas Vajtswv tau coglus tseg rau peb cov yawgkoob lawm. 7Peb cov neeg kaum ob xeem puavleej muab siab rau niaj hnub niaj hmo ua raws li Vajtswv txoj Kevcai. Peb cia siab hais tias peb yuav tau raws li tej lus uas Vajtswv cog tseg ntawd. Vajntxwv, twb yog vim kuv cia siab li no cov Yudais thiaj hais tias kuv ua txhaum. 8Ua li cas nej cov uas yog neeg Yudais ib yam li kuv, nej pheej tsis ntseeg hais tias, Vajtswv tsa tau cov neeg uas tuag lawm sawv hauv qhov tuag rov qab los? 9“Yav tas los lawm, kuv yeej xav hais tias kuv yuav ua txhua yam tawmtsam Yexus tus uas yog neeg Naxales. 10Kuv thiaj ua li ntawd nram lub nroog Yeluxalees. Cov thawj ntawm cov povthawj tso cai rau kuv mus ntes cov ntseeg Vajtswv coj los kaw rau hauv tsev lojcuj. Thaum cov thawj txiav txim hais tias yuav muab cov ntseeg ntawd coj mus tua povtseg, kuv pom zoo li ntawd thiab. 11Muaj ntau zaug kuv mus ntes cov ntseeg hauv tej tsev sablaj los rau txim thiab yuam kom lawv tso lawv tej kev ntseeg tseg. Kuv ntxub lawv kawg li, kuv thiaj mus tsimtxom cov ntseeg uas nyob hauv lwm Haivneeg tej tebchaws thiab.
Paulus Hais Txog Nws Hloov Dua Siab Tshiab
(Tes Haujlwm 9.1-19; 22.6-16)
12“Yog li ntawd, kuv thiaj thov cov thawj ntawm cov povthawj ua ntawv tso cai rau kuv mus tsimtxom cov ntseeg pem lub nroog Damaxes. 13Vajntxwv, thaum tavsu uas kuv taug kev mus, kuv pom duab ci nplas saum ntuj tuaj, ci tshaj lub hnub tuaj rau kuv thiab cov neeg uas nrog kuv mus ntawd. 14Peb txawm ntog tas rau hauv av, kuv hnov ib lub suab ua lus Henplais hais rau kuv hais tias, ‘Xaulus, Xaulus! Ua li cas koj tsimtxom kuv? Yog koj tawmtsam kuv, yuav mob koj ib yam li tus nyuj uas tuam nws tus tswv tus pas, ces yeej yuav mob nyuj nqaij xwb.’ 15Kuv nug hais tias, ‘Tus Tswv, koj yog leejtwg?’ Tus Tswv teb hais tias, ‘Kuv yog Yexus tus uas koj tsimtxom ntag. 16Koj cia li sawv, qhov uas kuv los tshwm rau koj pom no yog kuv los tsa koj ua kuv tus tubtxib. Koj yuav mus qhia qhov uas hnub no koj pom kuv thiab tej uas kuv yuav ua rau koj pom yav tom ntej rau sawvdaws paub. 17Kuv yuav txib koj mus qhia cov Yixalayees thiab lwm Haivneeg; kuv yuav tsomkwm koj, tsis pub leejtwg ua phem rau koj. 18Kuv yuav txib koj mus qhia cov neeg uas nyob hauv qhov tsaus ntuj kom lawv tawm los nyob qhov pom kev thiab tawm hauv dab Ntxwgnyoog txhais tes los cuag Vajtswv. Thaum lawv los ntseeg kuv lawm, Vajtswv yuav zam txim rau lawv, lawv thiaj tau los nrog cov neeg uas Vajtswv xaiv cia ua Vajtswv haivneeg lawm nyob ua ke.’
Paulus Hais Txog Nws Tes Haujlwm
19“Vajntxwv Akipas, twb yog vim li ntawd, kuv thiaj ua raws li tej uas kuv hnov lub suab saum ntuj hais kom kuv ua. 20Kuv xub qhia cov neeg uas nyob hauv lub nroog Damaxes, kuv mam li mus qhia nram lub nroog Yeluxalees. Tom qab ntawd kuv mus qhia thoob plaws hauv lub xeev Yudais thiab qhia lwm Haivneeg kom sawvdaws nyias tso nyias tej kev txhaum tseg thiab tig rov los cuag Vajtswv, thiab nyias ua nyias lub neej kom phim qhov uas nyias twb tso nyias tej kev txhaum tseg lawm. 21Twb yog vim li ntawd, cov Yudais thiaj li tuaj ntes kuv hauv lub Tuamtsev; thaum ntawd lawv twb yuav muab kuv tua povtseg. 22Tiamsis Vajtswv niaj zaus pab kuv los txog hnub no, kuv thiaj li tau tuaj sawv ntawm no ua timkhawv qhia tej uas kuv pom thiab kuv paub lawm rau cov hlob cov yau sawvdaws mloog. Tej uas kuv qhia, kuv tsuas qhia raws li tej lus uas cov cev Vajtswv lus thiab Mauxes xub qhia tseg lawm 23hais tias tus Mexiyas yuav raug kev tsimtxom thiab nws yuav yog thawj tug uas sawv hauv qhov tuag rov qab los. Nws yuav qhia qhov kaj uas yog txojkev cawm dim rau cov Yudais thiab lwm Haivneeg.” 24Thaum Paulus tabtom hais daws Paulus zaj tsis tau tas, Fexatus txawm hais nrov nrov rau Paulus hais tias, “Paulus, koj vwm lawm! Tej kev txawj ntse uas koj kawm ua rau koj vwm lawm.” 25Paulus teb hais tias, “Fexatus, kuv tsis vwm! Kuv yeej meejpem thiab tej lus uas kuv hais no yeej muaj tseeb tiag. 26Vajntxwv Akipas, kuv muaj lub siab tawv qhia tej no rau koj, rau qhov koj yeej paub tej no tas lawm, vim tej no muaj tabmeeg sawvdaws. Kuv ntseeg hais tias koj yeej paub tej no huv tibsi lawm. 27Vajntxwv Akipas, koj puas ntseeg tej lus uas cov cev Vajtswv lus qhia? Kuv paub hais tias koj yeej ntseeg tej lus ntawd.” 28Vajntxwv Akipas hais rau Paulus hais tias, “Koj nyuam qhuav qhia mentsis rau kuv xwb, koj txawm siv xav hais tias koj yuav yaum tau kuv los ntseeg Yexus no los?” 29Paulus teb hais tias, “Txawm yog kuv qhia ntau qhia tsawg los kuv thov Vajtswv pab koj thiab nej txhua tus uas tabtom mloog kuv qhia no kom sawvdaws los ua ib yam li kuv ua, tsuas yog tsis txhob raug luag muab saw hlau khi li kuv raug no xwb.” 30Paulus hais li ntawd tas, Vajntxwv Akipas thiab tus Tswvxeev Fexatus, Npelanikes thiab cov neeg uas nyob ntawd txawm sawv. 31Thaum lawv tawm mus rau nraum zoov lawm, lawv sib tham hais tias, “Tus txivneej no tsis tau ua ib qho txhaum uas yuav txaus muab nws tua povtseg lossis muab nws kaw rau hauv tsev lojcuj.” 32Vajntxwv Akipas hais rau Fexatus hais tias, “Yog tus txivneej no tsis txhob thov mus hais tim Huabtais Xixas, ces peb cia li muab nws tso mus los tau.”