Then Agrippa said to Paul: Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching forth his hand, began to make his answer.

Agrippa vero ad Paulum ait: Permittitur tibi loqui pro temetipso. Tunc Paulus extenta manu cœpit rationem reddere:

Then Agrippa said to Paul, Thou art free to give an account of thyself. And Paul, stretching out his hand, began his defence:

I think myself happy, O king Agrippa, that I am to answer for myself this day before thee, touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews.

De omnibus quibus accusor a Judæis, rex Agrippa, æstimo me beatum apud te cum sim defensurus me hodie,

King Agrippa, I count myself fortunate to-day, to be defending myself against all the accusations of the Jews in thy presence.

Especially as thou knowest all, both customs and questions that are among the Jews: Wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

maxime te sciente omnia, et quæ apud Judæos sunt consuetudines et quæstiones: propter quod obsecro patienter me audias.

No one is more familiar than thou with the customs of the Jews, and their controversies; and this makes me bold to ask thee for a patient audience.

And my life indeed from my youth, which was from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem, all the Jews do know:

Et quidem vitam meam a juventute, quæ ab initio fuit in gente mea in Jerosolymis, noverunt omnes Judæi:

What my life was like when boyhood was over, spent from the first among my own people and in Jerusalem, all the Jews know;

Having known me from the beginning (if they will give testimony) that according to the most sure sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

præscientes me ab initio (si velint testimonium perhibere) quoniam secundum certissimam sectam nostræ religionis vixi pharisæus.

their earliest memory of me, would they but admit it, is of one who lived according to the strictest tradition of observance we have, a Pharisee.

And now for the hope of the promise that was made by God to the fathers, do I stand subject to judgment:

Et nunc, in spe quæ ad patres nostros repromissionis facta est a Deo, sto judicio subjectus:

And if I stand here on my trial, it is for my hope of the promise God made to our fathers.

Unto which, our twelve tribes, serving night and day, hope to come. For which hope, O king, I am accused by the Jews.

in quam duodecim tribus nostræ nocte ac die deservientes, sperant devenire. De qua spe accusor a Judæis, rex.

Our twelve tribes worship him ceaselessly, night and day, in the hope of attaining that promise; and this is the hope, my lord king, for which the Jews call me to account.

Why should it be thought a thing incredible, that God should raise the dead?

Quid incredibile judicatur apud vos, si Deus mortuos suscitat?

Why should it be beyond the belief of men such as thou art, that God should raise the dead?

And I indeed did formerly think, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

Et ego quidem existimaveram me adversus nomen Jesu Nazareni debere multa contraria agere,

Well then, I thought it my duty to defy, in many ways, the name of Jesus the Nazarene.

Which also I did at Jerusalem, and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority of the chief priests: and when they were put to death, I brought the sentence.

quod et feci Jerosolymis, et multos sanctorum ego in carceribus inclusi, a principibus sacerdotum potestate accepta: et cum occiderentur, detuli sententiam.

And that is what I did, at Jerusalem; it was I, under powers granted me by the chief priests, who shut up many of the faithful in prison; and when they were done to death, I raised my voice against them.

And oftentimes punishing them, in every synagogue, I compelled them to blaspheme: and being yet more mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.

Et per omnes synagogas frequenter puniens eos, compellebam blasphemare: et amplius insaniens in eos, persequebar usque in exteras civitates.

Often have I tried to force them into blaspheming, by inflicting punishment on them in one synagogue after another; nay, so unmeasured was my rage against them that I used to go to foreign cities to persecute them.

Whereupon when I was going to Damascus with authority and permission of the chief priest,

In quibus dum irem Damascum cum potestate et permissu principum sacerdotum,

It was on such an errand that I was making my way to Damascus, with powers delegated to me by the chief priests,

At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me, and them that were in company with me.

die media in via vidi, rex, de cælo supra splendorem solis circumfulsisse me lumen, et eos qui mecum simul erant.

when, journeying at midday, I saw, my lord king, a light from heaven, surpassing the brightness of the sun, which shone about me and my companions.

And when we were all fallen down on the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew tongue: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goad.

Omnesque nos cum decidissemus in terram, audivi vocem loquentem mihi hebraica lingua: Saule, Saule, quid me persequeris? durum est tibi contra stimulum calcitrare.

We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice which said to me, in Hebrew, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me? This is a thankless task of thine, kicking against the goad.

And I said: Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord answered: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

Ego autem dixi: Quis es, domine? Dominus autem dixit: Ego sum Jesus, quem tu persequeris.

Who art thou, Lord? I asked. And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom Saul persecutes.

But rise up, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared to thee, that I may make thee a minister, and a witness of those things which thou hast seen, and of those things wherein I will appear to thee,

Sed exsurge, et sta super pedes tuos: ad hoc enim apparui tibi, ut constituam te ministrum, et testem eorum quæ vidisti, et eorum quibus apparebo tibi,

Rise up, and stand on thy feet; I have shewn myself to thee, that I may single thee out to serve me, as the witness of this vision thou hast had, and other visions thou wilt have of me.

Delivering thee from the people, and from the nations, unto which now I send thee:

eripiens te de populo et gentibus, in quas nunc ego mitto te,

I will be thy deliverer from the hands of thy people, and of the Gentiles, to whom I am now sending thee.

To open their eyes, that they may be converted from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and a lot among the saints, by the faith that is in me.

aperire oculos eorum, ut convertantur a tenebris ad lucem, et de potestate Satanæ ad Deum, ut accipiant remissionem peccatorum, et sortem inter sanctos, per fidem quæ est in me.

Thou shalt open their eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive, through faith in me, remission of their sins and an inheritance among the saints.

Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not incredulous to the heavenly vision:

Unde, rex Agrippa, non fui incredulus cælesti visioni:

Whereupon, king Agrippa, I did not show myself disobedient to the heavenly vision.

But to them first that are at Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and unto all the country of Judea, and to the Gentiles did I preach, that they should do penance, and turn to God, doing works worthy of penance.

sed his qui sunt Damasci primum, et Jerosolymis, et in omnem regionem Judææ, et gentibus, annuntiabam, ut pœnitentiam agerent, et converterentur ad Deum, digna pœnitentiæ opera facientes.

First to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, then to all the country of Judaea, then to the heathen, I preached repentance, bidding them turn to God, and so act as befits men who are penitent.

For this cause the Jews, when I was in the temple, having apprehended me, went about to kill me.

Hac ex causa me Judæi, cum essem in templo, comprehensum tentabant interficere.

That is why the Jews, when they caught me in the temple, tried to murder me.

But being aided by the help of God, I stand unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other thing than those which the prophets, and Moses did say should come to pass:

Auxilio autem adjutus Dei usque in hodiernum diem, sto, testificans minori atque majori, nihil extra dicens quam ea quæ prophetæ locuti sunt futura esse, et Moyses,

But, thanks to God’s help, I still stand here to-day, bearing my witness to small and great alike. Yet there is nothing in my message which goes beyond what the prophets spoke of, and Moses spoke of, as things to come;

That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light to the people, and to the Gentiles.

si passibilis Christus, si primus ex resurrectione mortuorum, lumen annuntiaturus est populo et gentibus.

a suffering Christ, and one who should shew light to his people and to the Gentiles by being the first to rise from the dead.

As he spoke these things, and made his answer, Festus said with a loud voice: Paul, thou art beside thyself: much learning doth make thee mad.

Hæc loquente eo, et rationem reddente, Festus magna voce dixit: Insanis, Paule: multæ te litteræ ad insaniam convertunt.

When Paul had proceeded so far with his defence, Festus said in a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; they are driving thee to madness, these long studies of thine.

And Paul said: I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but I speak words of truth and soberness.

Et Paulus: Non insanio, inquit, optime Feste, sed veritatis et sobrietatis verba loquor.

But Paul answered, No, most noble Festus, I am not mad; the message which I utter is sober truth.

For the king knoweth of these things, to whom also I speak with confidence. For I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him. For neither was any of these things done in a corner.

Scit enim de his rex, ad quem et constanter loquor: latere enim eum nihil horum arbitror. Neque enim in angulo quidquam horum gestum est.

The king knows about all this well enough; that is why I speak with such confidence in his presence. None of this, I am sure, is news to him; it was not in some secret corner that all this happened.

Believest thou the prophets, O king Agrippa? I know that thou believest.

Credis, rex Agrippa, prophetis? Scio quia credis.

Dost thou believe the prophets, king Agrippa? I am well assured thou dost believe them.

And Agrippa said to Paul: In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

Agrippa autem ad Paulum: In modico suades me christianum fieri.

At this, Agrippa said to Paul, Thou wouldst have me turn Christian with very little ado.

And Paul said: I would to God, that both in a little and in much, not only thou, but also all that hear me, this day, should become such as I also am, except these bands.

Et Paulus: Opto apud Deum, et in modico et in magno, non tantum te, sed etiam omnes qui audiunt hodie fieri tales, qualis et ego sum, exceptis vinculis his.

Why, said Paul, it would be my prayer to God that, whether it were with much ado or little, both thou and all those who are listening to me to-day should become just such as I am, but for these chains.

And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them.

Et exsurrexit rex, et præses, et Bernice, et qui assidebant eis.

Then the king rose, and so did the governor, and Bernice, and all those who sat there with them.

And when they were gone aside, they spoke among themselves, saying: This man hath done nothing worthy of death or of bands.

Et cum secessissent, loquebantur ad invicem, dicentes: Quia nihil morte aut vinculis dignum quid fecit homo iste.

When they had retired, they said to one another, This man is guilty of no fault that deserves death or imprisonment.

And Agrippa said to Festus: This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Cæsar.

Agrippa autem Festo dixit: Dimitti poterat homo hic, si non appellasset Cæsarem.

And Agrippa said to Festus, If he had not appealed to Caesar, this man might have been set at liberty.