Chapter 26

[] O de AgrippaV eipe proV ton Paulon. EceiV thn adeian na omilhshV uper seautou. Tote o PauloV ekteinaV thn ceira, apelogeito×

Makarion nomizw emauton, basileu Agrippa, mellwn na apologhqw enwpion sou shmeron peri pantwn eiV osa egkaloumai upo twn Ioudaiwn,

malista epeidh gnwrizeiV panta ta para toiV IoudaioiV eqima kai zhthmata× oqen deomai sou na me akoushV meta makroqumiaV.

Thn ek neothtoV loipon zwhn mou, thn opoian ap' archV ezhsa metaxu tou eqnouV mou en IerosolumoiV, exeurousi panteV oi Ioudaioi,

epeidh me gnwrizousin ex archV, ean qelwsi na marturhswsin, oti kata thn akribestathn airesin thV qrhskeiaV hmwn ezhsa FarisaioV.

Kai twra paristamai krinomenoV dia thn elpida thV epaggeliaV thV genomenhV upo tou Qeou proV touV pateraV hmwn,

eiV thn opoian to dwdekafulon hmwn genoV, latreuon ektenwV ton Qeon nukta kai hmeran, elpizei na katanthsh× peri tauthV thV elpidoV egkaloumai, basileu Agrippa, upo twn Ioudaiwn.

Ti apisteuton krinetai eiV esaV, oti o QeoV anista nekrouV;

Egw men estocasqhn kat' emauton oti eprepe na praxw polla enantia eiV to onoma tou Ihsou tou Nazwraiou×

to opoion kai epraxa en IerosolumoiV, kai pollouV twn agiwn egw katekleisa eiV fulakaV, labwn thn exousian para twn arcierewn, kai ote efoneuonto edwka yhfon kat' autwn.

Kai en pasaiV taiV sunagwgaiV pollakiV timwrwn autouV hnagkazon na blasfhmwsi, kai kaq' uperbolhn mainomenoV enantion autwn katediwkon ewV kai eiV taV exw poleiV.

[] En toutoiV de, ote hrcomhn eiV thn Damaskon met' exousiaV kai epitrophV thV para twn arcierewn,

en tw mesw thV hmeraV eidon kaq' odon, basileu, fwV ouranoqen uperbainon thn lamprothta tou hliou, to opoion elamye peri eme kai touV odoiporountaV met' emou×

kai enw katepesomen panteV eiV thn ghn, hkousa fwnhn lalousan proV me kai legousan eiV thn Ebraikhn dialekton× Saoul Saoul, ti me diwkeiV; sklhron soi einai na laktizhV proV kentra.

Egw de eipon× TiV eisai, Kurie; Kai ekeinoV eipen× Egw eimai o IhsouV, ton opoion su diwkeiV.

Alla shkwqhti kai sthqi epi touV podaV sou× epeidh dia touto efanhn eiV se, dia na se katasthsw uphrethn kai martura kai oswn eideV kai peri oswn qelw fanerwqh eiV se,

eklegwn se ek tou laou kai twn eqnwn, eiV ta opoia twra se apostellw

dia na anoixhV touV ofqalmouV autwn, wste na epistreywsin apo tou skotouV eiV to fwV kai apo thV exousiaV tou Satana proV ton Qeon, dia na labwsin afesin amartiwn kai klhronomian metaxu twn hgiasmenwn dia thV eiV eme pistewV.

Oqen, basileu Agrippa, den egeina apeiqhV eiV thn ouranion optasian,

all' ekhrutton prwton eiV touV en Damaskw kai IerosolumoiV kai eiV pasan thn ghn thV IoudaiaV, kai epeita eiV ta eqnh, na metanowsi kai na epistrefwsin eiV ton Qeon, prattonteV erga axia thV metanoiaV.

Dia tauta oi Ioudaioi sullabonteV me en tw ierw, epeceiroun na me foneuswsin.

AxiwqeiV omwV thV bohqeiaV thV para tou Qeou, istamai ewV thV hmeraV tauthV marturwn proV mikron te kai megalon, mh legwn mhden ektoV twn osa elalhsan oi profhtai kai o MwushV oti emellon na geinwsin,

oti o CristoV emelle na paqh, oti prwtoV anastaV ek nekrwn mellei na khruxh fwV eiV ton laon kai eiV ta eqnh.

[] Enw de autoV apelogeito tauta, o FhstoV eipe me megalhn fwnhn× Mainesai, Paule, ta polla grammata se kataferousin eiV manian.

O de, Den mainomai, eipe, kratiste Fhste, alla proferw logouV alhqeiaV kai nooV ugiainontoV.

Dioti ecei gnwsin peri toutwn o basileuV, proV ton opoion kai lalw meta parrhsiaV× epeidh eimai pepeismenoV oti den lanqanei auton ouden toutwn, dioti touto den einai pepragmenon en gwnia.

PisteueiV, basileu Agrippa, eiV touV profhtaV; exeurw oti pisteueiV.

Kai o AgrippaV eipe proV ton Paulon× Par' oligon me peiqeiV na geinw CristianoV.

Kai o PauloV eipen× Hqelon eucesqai proV ton Qeon, ouci monon su, alla kai panteV oi shmeron akouonteV me, na geinwsi kai par' oligon kai para polu toioutoi opoioV kai egw eimai, parektoV twn desmwn toutwn.

Kai afou autoV eipe tauta, eshkwqh o basileuV kai o hgemwn kai h Bernikh kai oi sugkaqhmenoi met' autwn,

kai anacwrhsanteV elaloun proV allhlouV, legonteV oti ouden axion qanatou h desmwn prattei o anqrwpoV outoV.

O de AgrippaV eipe proV ton Fhston× O anqrwpoV outoV hdunato na apoluqh, ean den eicen epikalesqh ton Kaisara.