1Agrippa vyzval Pavla: „Povedz, čo môžeš uviesť na svoju obhajobu.“2Pavol zdvihol ruku na spôsob rečníkov a začal: „Som šťastný, kráľ Agrippa, že sa môžem práve pred tebou obhajovať proti žalobám Židov.3Viem, že si výborný znalec židovských zákonov a vyznáš sa aj vo všetkých sporných otázkach. Preto prosím, aby si ma trpezlivo vypočul:4Môj život poznajú od mladosti všetci Židia. Vedia, ako som žil medzi svojím národom v Jeruzaleme,5a keby chceli, mohli by dosvedčiť, že som patril k najhorlivejšiemu náboženskému smeru, k farizejom.6A dnes stojím pred súdom práve preto, lebo pevne verím, že Boh splní zasľúbenie, ktoré dal našim predkom.7Dvanásť kmeňov nášho národa dúfa, že toto zasľúbenie dosiahne, a vo dne aj v noci horlivo slúži Bohu. Pre túto nádej ma Židia obžalovali zo zločinu.8No je to zločin veriť vo vzkriesenie z mŕtvych? Zdá sa vám to neuveriteľné, že Boh vzkriesi mŕtvych?9Pravda, vtedy som sa aj ja nazdával, že musím všemožne bojovať proti učeniu Ježiša Nazaretského10a bol som najhorlivejším prenasledovateľom jeho stúpencov v Jeruzaleme. Vyžiadal som si splnomocnenie od veľkňazov a dal som mnohých kresťanov uväzniť. A ak mali byť usmrtení, súhlasil som s tým.11V synagógach som dával ľudí bičovať a nútil som ich, aby sa rúhali Kristovi. Vo svojej zaslepenej horlivosti som ich chcel prenasledovať aj v iných mestách.12Preto som sa vybral so splnomocnením a poverením veľkňazov do Damasku.13A tu zrazu za bieleho dňa, práve napoludnie, svetlo z neba, jasnejšie ako slnko, oslepilo mňa aj mojich sprievodcov.14Všetci sme preľaknutí padli na zem a ja som počul hlas v hebrejčine:‚Saul, Saul, prečo ma prenasleduješ? Márne sa proti mne vzpieraš!‘15Spýtal som sa:‚Kto si, Pane?‘ A on mi odpovedal: ‚Ja som Ježiš, ktorého prenasleduješ.16Ale teraz vstaň! Zjavil som sa ti preto, aby si bol mojím služobníkom a aby si svedčil o tom, čo si zažil a čo ti dám ešte poznať.17Budem ťa chrániť pred izraelským národom aj pred pohanmi, ku ktorým ťa posielam.18Budeš im otvárať oči, aby sa obrátili od tmy k svetlu, od moci satanovej k Bohu. A tým, čo uveria vo mňa, odpustím hriechy a dám im miesto medzi tými, ktorí získali posvätenie vierou vo mňa.‘19Iste uznáš, kráľ Agrippa, že toto nebeské zjavenie som nemohol neposlúchnuť.20Preto som musel hneď v Damasku, potom v Jeruzaleme a celom Judsku a napokon aj medzi pohanmi nabádať ľudí, aby sa kajali a obrátili k Bohu a dosvedčili to novým životom.21To je môj‚zločin‘, pre ktorý sa ma Židia zmocnili v chráme a chceli ma zabiť.22Ale Boh ma zakaždým vytrhol z ich rúk, a tak tu dnes môžem stáť a vydávať svedectvo ľuďom prostým i vznešeným. Nehlásam nič iné, len čo predpovedali proroci a Mojžiš:23že Mesiáš bude trpieť, ako prvý vstane z mŕtvych, a tak prinesie svetlo Židom aj pohanom.“24Tu mu Festus skočil do reči: „Pavol, ty si sa zbláznil. Tá tvoja veľká učenosť ťa pripravila o rozum.“25Pavol sa bránil: „Nezbláznil som sa, vznešený Festus. Moje slová sú pravdivé a viem, čo hovorím.26Kráľ Agrippa to môže potvrdiť, lebo sa v týchto otázkach výborne vyzná. Aj preto hovorím tak smelo, lebo som presvedčený, že o tom všetkom vie, veď sa to nedialo niekde v ústraní.27Kráľ Agrippa, veríš tomu, čo predpovedali proroci? Ja viem, že tomu veríš.“28Agrippa mu odpovedal: „Takmer si ma presvedčil, aby som sa stal kresťanom.“29A Pavol odpovedal: „Kiežby dal Boh, aby si sa nielen ty, ale aj všetci, čo ma počúvajú, stali skôr či neskôr tým, čím som ja – pravda, bez týchto reťazí.“30Kráľ, miestodržiteľ, Berenika aj ostatní vstali31a odišli. Zhodne navzájom usúdili: „Tento človek neurobil nič, za čo by si zasluhoval smrť alebo väzenie.“32A Agrippa povedal Festovi: „Keby sa nebol odvolal k cisárovi, mohol byť už teraz na slobode.“
1So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: (Sk 9,15)2“I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, (Sk 25,7; Sk 25,19; Sk 26,7)3especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. (Sk 6,14; Sk 18,15)4“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. (Sk 24,17; Sk 28,19; Gal 1,13)5They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. (Sk 22,3; Sk 23,6; Sk 24,5; Jak 1,26)6And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, (Sk 13,32)7to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! (Ezd 6,17; Mt 19,28; Lk 22,30; Sk 2,33; Sk 26,2; Flp 3,11; Hebr 10,36; Hebr 11,13; Hebr 11,39; Jak 1,1; Zjv 21,12)8Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? (Sk 17,3; 1 Kor 15,12)9“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. (Jn 16,2; Sk 3,17; Sk 22,8; 1 Tim 1,13)10And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. (Sk 8,3; Sk 9,1; Sk 9,14; Sk 9,21; Sk 22,4; Sk 22,20; Sk 26,12)11And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities. (Sk 9,1; Sk 13,45; Sk 22,5; Sk 22,19)
Paul Tells of His Conversion
12“In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. (Sk 9,3; Sk 22,6)13At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me.14And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language,[1] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ (Sk 21,40; Sk 22,2)15And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.16But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, (Ez 2,1; Dan 10,11; Sk 22,14)17delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you (1 Krn 16,35; Jer 1,8; Jer 1,19; Jer 15,20; Sk 9,15; Sk 12,11; Rim 11,13; 1 Tim 2,7)18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (Iz 35,5; Iz 42,7; Lk 22,53; Sk 5,31; Sk 15,9; Sk 20,32; 1 Kor 5,5; 2 Sol 2,13)19“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, (Sk 26,13)20but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. (Mt 3,8; Lk 3,8; Sk 2,38; Sk 9,19; Sk 9,26; Sk 13,46; Sk 14,15; Sk 22,17)21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. (Sk 21,27; Sk 21,30; Sk 24,18)22To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: (Sk 10,43; Sk 24,14; 2 Kor 1,10; Ef 6,13; Hebr 13,5)23that the Christ 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.” (Lk 2,32; Lk 24,26; Jn 12,34; Sk 3,18; Sk 26,18; Rim 1,4; 1 Kor 15,20; 1 Kor 15,23; Ef 2,17; Kol 1,18; Hebr 2,10; Zjv 1,5)24And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” (2 Kr 9,11; Jer 29,26; Mk 3,21; Jn 10,20; Sk 12,15; Sk 17,32; Sk 26,8; 1 Kor 1,23; 1 Kor 2,14; 1 Kor 4,10)25But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. (Sk 24,2; 2 Kor 5,13; 2 Pt 1,16)26For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. (Sk 26,3)27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”28And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”[2] (Sk 11,26; 1 Pt 4,16)29And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” (Sk 21,33; 1 Kor 7,7)30Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. (Sk 23,24)31And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” (Sk 23,29)32And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” (Sk 9,15; Sk 25,11; Sk 28,18; Sk 28,19)