Acts 2626ActsPaul's arrest and journey to RomeThe Orthodox Jewish Bible Tanakh and Orthodox Jewish Brit Chadasha The Holy Bible

The Orthodox Jewish Bible Tanakh and Orthodox Jewish Brit Chadasha The Holy BibleBerean Standard Bible

1. Paul’s Testimony to Agrippa

   (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 22:1–21)

2. 1ENGOJBAnd Agrippa said to Rav Sha'ul, It is permitted for you to speak concerning yourself. Then Rav Sha'ul, having stretched out his hand, was making his hitstaddekut (defense), saying,BSBBSB: Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
3. 2ENGOJBI have considered myself fortunate that it is before you, Agrippa HaMelech, that I am able to make my hitstaddekut today concerning everything of which I am accused by Yehudim.BSBBSB: “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,
4. 3ENGOJBMost of all, you are a bukki (expert, meivin) in all the minhagim and issues of the Yehudim; therefore, I beg you to listen patiently to me.BSBBSB: especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.
5. 4ENGOJBAll the Yehudim have da'as of my Yiddishkeit from my earliest youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Yerushalayim.BSBBSB: Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from my earliest childhood among my own people, and also in Jerusalem.
6. 5ENGOJBThey have had da'as of this for a long time, if they are willing to bear edut, that according to the most machmir kat of our Orthodox Jewish faith my life has been lived out as a Parush.BSBBSB: They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
7. 6ENGOJBAnd now I stand here on trial on account of my tikvah in the havtacha made to Avoteinu,BSBBSB: And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,
8. 7ENGOJBA havtacha Sheneym Asar Shevateinu have tikvah to attain, as they with earnestness worship Hashem yomam valailah. It if for this tikvah, your Excellency, that I am accused by Yehudim!BSBBSB: the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.
9. 8ENGOJBWhy is it considered incredible by any of you that Hashem makes the Mesim to stand up alive?BSBBSB: Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
10. 9ENGOJBIndeed, I myself thought it necessary to do many opposing things against ha-Shem of Yehoshua from Natzeret.BSBBSB: So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
11. 10ENGOJBAnd these things I also did in Yerushalayim; and armed with samchut received from the Rashei Hakohanim, many of the kedoshim I locked up in the beis hasohar; and I cast my vote keneged (against) them when they received the death penalty.BSBBSB: And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.
12. 11ENGOJBAnd throughout all the shuls I often punished them, forcing them to commit Chillul Hashem gidduf (blasphemy), and since I was so enraged against them, I was bringing redifah on them even as far as foreign cities.BSBBSB: I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
13. 12ENGOJBAnd while doing these very things, as I was traveling to Damascus with authorization and permission from the Rashei Hakohanim,BSBBSB: In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
14. 13ENGOJBAt noon on the derech, O Melech, I saw from Shomayim an ohr, more brilliant than the shemesh, shining around me and around the ones traveling with me.BSBBSB: About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
15. 14ENGOJBAnd we all fell down to the ground. Then I heard a kol saying to me in the language of the Hebrews, Sha'ul, Sha'ul, why are you bringing redifah upon me? It is hard for you to kick keneged (against) the prod.BSBBSB: We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
16. 15ENGOJBAnd I said, Who are you Adoni? And HaAdon said, I am Yehoshua upon whom you are bringing redifah.BSBBSB: ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
17. 16ENGOJBBut get up and stand on your feet. For this tachlis, then, I appeared to you, to give you s'michah as a mesharet, an eved, and an eidus (witness), both of what things you have seen and the things which I will reveal to you.BSBBSB: ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.
18. 17ENGOJBI will deliver you from your own people and from the Goyim to whom I am sending you,BSBBSB: I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
19. 18ENGOJBTo open their eyes, to turn them from choshech to ohr and from the samchut of HaSatan to Hashem, that they receive selichat avon and nachalah among the ones having been set apart in kedushah by emunah in me.BSBBSB: to 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 an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’
20. 19ENGOJBO Agrippa HaMelech, I was not disobedient to the chazon from Shomayim.BSBBSB: So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
21. 20ENGOJBBut beginning with the ones in Damascus and also with those in Yerushalayim, and with all the region of Yehudah and with the Goyim, I was preaching they should make teshuva and turn to Hashem, doing ma'asim worthy of teshuva.BSBBSB: First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
22. 21ENGOJBBecause of these things, the unbelieving Yehudim seized me while I was in the Beis Hamikdash, and were trying to kill me.BSBBSB: For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
23. 22ENGOJBTo this day I have obtained ezer (help) from Hashem, to stand and give solemn edut (testimony) before both ketanim and Gedolim, testifying about nothing beyond the Orthodox Jewish faith based on what the Nevi'im and Moshe Rabbenu said would happen:BSBBSB: But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
24. 23ENGOJBThat is, the yissurim (sufferings) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and that by being rishon to stand up alive in the Techiyas HaMoshiach, he would proclaim ohr both to K'lal Yisroel and the Nations.BSBBSB: that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

25. Festus Interrupts Paul’s Defense

26. 24ENGOJBAnd while he was saying these things in his hitstaddekut, Festus in a kol gadol shouts, Rav Sha'ul, all your yeshiva learning has made you meshuggah!BSBBSB: At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”
27. 25ENGOJBBut Rav Sha'ul says, I am not meshuggah, most excellent Festus; I am speaking devarim of Emes and Ta'am (Reason).BSBBSB: But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.
28. 26ENGOJBFor HaMelech has da'as of these matters, to whom also I am speaking freely, for I am sure that absolutely none of these things escape his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.BSBBSB: For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.
29. 27ENGOJBAgrippa HaMelech, do you believe in the Nevi'im? I have da'as that you do believe.BSBBSB: King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
30. 28ENGOJBAnd Agrippa said to Rav Sha'ul, You think, do you, that as quick as that you can make me mekabel Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach?BSBBSB: Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”
31. 29ENGOJBBut Rav Sha'ul said, I would daven that Hashem, quickly or not, might make not only you but all listening to me today as I am, apart from these sharsherot (chains).BSBBSB: “Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”
32. 30ENGOJBHaMelech and the Moshel and Bernice and the ones sitting with them got up.BSBBSB: Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.
33. 31ENGOJBAnd having withdrawn, they were saying to one another, This man does nothing worthy of the death penalty or imprisonment.BSBBSB: On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
34. 32ENGOJBAnd Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been released, if he had not appealed to Caesar.BSBBSB: And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.