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25:13-26:32
When some days had passed Agrippa
the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea
and greeted Festus. As more days
passed they stayed (on) there. Festus
set forth the matters regarding Paul to the king saying "There is a
certain man who has been left by Felix as a prisoner. When I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of
the Jews informed me about him, asking for a sentence against him. I answered them that it is not a custom
with Romans to condemn any man,
before the one who is being accused
meets his accusers face to face in that place, in order to a provide
a defence against the charge. I made
no delay (in arranging for this) and they came together the next day when I
was sitting on the tribunal. I
ordered the man to be brought in.
But the accusers standing there could not bring any charge which I
thought was evil against him. They
had certain questions with him in relation to their own religion about
someone called Jesus. He had died
and Paul claimed him to be alive.
Being perplexed about these things that were being debated I asked
him if he wanted to go (back) to Jerusalem
and be judged there about these matters.
But Paul appealed to be kept on, so that Augustus (the emperor)
should make a decision, I ordered (therefore) that he be kept (at Caesarea) until I can send him up to Caesar. "
Agrippa said to Festus. I was minded
myself to hear the man. So Festus
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said
"Tomorrow you will hear him." On the next day therefore Agrippa
and Bernice came with much display and entered into the place of audience
with both the military Tribunes and chief men of the city Festus then
ordered that Paul be brought in.
Festus said. "King Agrippa and all those present together with
us. You are looking at this man about whom the multitude of the Jews
petitioned me, both in Jerusalem
and here (in Caesaria). They were
crying out that he should not live any longer. But I have not found him to have done
anything that is worthy of death.
When he appealed to (Caesar) Augustus I decided to send (him
there). However I am not certain
what to write to the lord (Caesar) and so have brought him before you (all)
and (before) you most of all King Agrippa.
When there has been an examination I may have something to
write. It seems unreasonable to me
to be sending a prisoner on and not to have any charges against him.
26:1
Agrippa said to Paul "You are
allowed to speak on behalf of yourself." So Paul stretched out his hand to defend
himself saying "King Agrippa I consider myself happy to be able to
defend myself before you to-day regarding all the things about which I am
accused. This is especially so as you
are an expert in knowing all the customs and questions amongst the
Jews. Therefore I beg you to
patiently hear you.. From my youth
both
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in
my own nation and in Jerusalem,
all the Jews have known my manner of life from the beginning of it. They can if they are willing to testify,
that I lived as a Pharisee, the most exact sect of our religion. And now I stand here being judged in
terms of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers. It is in terms of this hope that our
twelve tribes worshipped with all earnestness, waiting for (for what they
hoped for) to arrive. It is
concerning this hope that I am being accused by the Jews O King.
Why would you consider it to be incredible that God should raise
dead persons. (As for myself) I
indeed intended to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazarene
and I did do these things in Jerusalem. I shut
many saints up into prison after receiving authority to do so from
the chief priests. When it was being
decided to kill them I cast a vote.
(I went) throughout all the synagogues, often punishing them and
compelling them to blaspheme. I
raged against them so excessively that I even went to persecute them in far
away cities. (But something
happened) while I was journeying to Damascus
with the authority of the chief priests. As I was going along at midday I
saw O King, a light with the brightness of the sun. It came from heaven and shone all around
myself and those who were on the journey with me. When we had all fallen down to the earth
I heard a voice saying Continued
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