Acts
« Chapter 26 »
2
"King Agrippa, I am happy to present my defense before you today in answer to all the accusations of Al-Yahud.
«أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ أَغْرِيبُ، يَسُرُّنِي أَنْ أُقَدِّمَ دِفَاعِي أَمَامَكَ الْيَوْمَ لِلرَّدِّ عَلَى كُلِّ اتِّهَامَاتِ الْيَهُودِ،
3
You know well all the traditions and discussions of Al-Yahud. So I ask you to be patient and hear my defense.
وَلِأَنَّكَ تَعْرِفُ جَيِّدًا جَمِيعَ تَقَالِيدِ الْيَهُودِ وَنِقَاشَاتِهِمْ، أَرْجُو أَنْ تَصْبِرَ عَلَى سَمَاعِ دِفَاعِي.
4
All of Al-Yahud know about my life since my youth in my city and in Al-Quds.
يَعْرِفُ جَمِيعُ الْيَهُودِ سِيرَتِي مُنْذُ صِغَرِي بَيْنَ شَعْبِي فِي بَلَدِي وَفِي الْقُدْسِ،
5
They have known me for a long time, if they were willing to give shahada, that I lived as a Pharisee, the most fanatical party in our religion.
فَهُمْ يَعْرِفُونَنِي مُنْذُ زَمَنٍ بَعِيدٍ، لَوْ أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَشْهَدُوا، إِنَّنِي كُنْتُ مِنَ الْمُتَشَدِّدِينَ، وَهُمْ أَشَدُّ الْأَحْزَابِ تَعَصُّبًا فِي دِيَانَتِنَا،
7
This is the hope our twelve tribes want to see fulfilled as they worship day and night. King, Al-Yahud accuse me because of this hope!
وَهُوَ الْأَمَلُ الَّذِي يَرْجُو أَسْبَاطُنَا الِاثْنَا عَشَرَ تَحْقِيقَهُ حَيْثُ يَتَعَبَّدُونَ لَيْلَ نَهَارَ. فَبِسَبَبِ هَذَا الْأَمَلِ اتَّهَمَنِي الْيَهُودُ، أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ!
9
So I was convinced that I should strongly resist the name of Isa Al-Nasiri.
وَأَنَا كَذَلِكَ كُنْتُ مُقْتَنِعًا بِمُعَارَضَةِ اسْمِ عِيسَى النَّاصِرِيِّ بِشِدَّةٍ،
10
وَهَذَا مَا فَعَلْتُهُ فِي الْقُدْسِ إِذْ سَجَنْتُ كَثِيرِينَ مِنْ أَتْبَاعِهِ الْمُقَدَّسِينَ بِسُلْطَةٍ مِنْ كِبَارِ الْأَحْبَارِ، وَوَافَقْتُ بِتَصْوِيتِي عَلَى إِعْدَامِهِمْ،
11
I punished them many times in all the houses of salat, and tried to make them say kufr. I was so extremely angry that I persecuted them even in foreign countries.
كَمَا عَاقَبْتُهُمْ مِرَارًا فِي جَمِيعِ الْمُصَلَّيَاتِ، لِأَجْعَلَهُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ. وَفِي غَضَبِي الْمُتَطَرِّفِ اضْطَهَدْتُهُمْ حَتَّى فِي الْبِلَادِ الْأَجْنَبِيَّةِ،
12
The leading ahbar authorized me to go with their authority to Damascus.
وَكَانَ كِبَارُ الْأَحْبَارِ قَدْ فَوَّضُونِي، فَكُنْتُ ذَاهِبًا بِاسْمِ سُلْطَتِهِمْ إِلَى دِمَشْقَ.
13
King, I was on the way, and at noon, I saw a light from the sky. It shined brighter that the sun around me and my companions.
أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ، وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ فِي الطَّرِيقِ عِنْدَ الظُّهْرِ نُورًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، كَانَ أَسْطَعَ مِنْ نُورِ الشَّمْسِ، يُشْرِقُ حَوْلِي وَحَوْلَ مُرَافِقِيَّ.
14
We all fell on the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Hebrew: 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You will get hurt because you resist me.'
فَوَقَعْنَا جَمِيعًا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ، وَسَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا يُكَلِّمُنِي بِاللُّغَةِ الْعِبْرِيَّةِ: يَا شَاوُلُ، يَا شَاوُلُ، لِمَ تَضْطَهِدُنِي؟ سَوْفَ يَلْحَقُ بِكَ الْأَذَى بِسَبَبِ مُقَاوَمَتِكَ لِي.
15
So I asked him: 'Who are you, my mawla?' My mawla answered me: 'I am Isa, whom you are persecuting.
فَسَأَلْتُهُ: مَنْ أَنْتَ يَا سَيِّدِي؟ أَجَابَ مَوْلَايَ: أَنَا عِيسَى الَّذِي تَضْطَهِدُهُ أَنْتَ.
16
Stand up on your feet! I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant to give shahada about what you have seen and will see from me.
قُمْ وَقِفْ عَلَى رِجْلَيْكَ! فَلَمْ أَظْهَرْ لَكَ إِلَّا لِتَعْيِينِكَ خَادِمًا وَشَاهِدًا بِمَا رَأَيْتَهُ وَمَا سَتَرَاهُ مِنِّي،
17
I will save you from the Yahudi umma and the other nations I have sent you to.
وَأَنَا مُنْقِذُكَ مِنْ أُمَّةِ الْيَهُودِ وَأُمَمِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ الَّذِينَ أَرْسَلْتُكَ إِلَيْهِمْ،
18
You will open their eyes to turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Al-Shaitan to Allah. Then Allah will forgive their sins and bless them with a portion with those whom Allah has purified and made holy through their trust in me.'
حَتَّى تَفْتَحَ أَعْيُنَهُمْ لِيَرْجِعُوا مِنَ الظَّلَامِ إِلَى النُّورِ، وَمِنْ سُلْطَانِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِلَى اللهِ، فَيَغْفِرَ اللهُ ذُنُوبَهُمْ وَيُنْعِمَ عَلَيْهِمْ نَصِيبًا مَعَ الَّذِينَ طَهَّرَهُمُ اللهُ مُقَدَّسِينَ عَنْ طَرِيقِ تَوَكُّلِهِمْ عَلَيَّ.
19
King Agrippa, since that time, I have not disobeyed what I was commanded in the heavenly vision.
فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ الْحِينِ، أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ أَغْرِيبُ، لَمْ أَعْصِ مَا أُمِرْتُ بِهِ فِي الرُّؤْيَا السَّمَاوِيَّةِ،
20
But I spoke to the people in Damascus first, and then the residents of Al-Quds and all Yahudia, and then to the other nations. I invited them to sincerely repent and to do righteous deeds that are appropriate for repentance.
بَلْ أَعْلَنْتُ لِأَهْلِ دِمَشْقَ أَوَّلًا، ثُمَّ لِأَهْلِ الْقُدْسِ وَكُلِّ مُحَافَظَتِهَا، ثُمَّ لِلْأُمَمِ غَيْرِ الْيَهُودِ، اَلدَّعْوَةَ أَنْ يَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا وَيَعْمَلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ الَّتِي تَلِيقُ بِالتَّوْبَةِ.
21
This is why Al-Yahud arrested me in the house of Allah and tried to kill me.
وَلِهَذَا السَّبَبِ قَبَضَ عَلَيَّ الْيَهُودُ فِي بَيْتِ اللهِ وَحَاوَلُوا قَتْلِي،
22
لَكِنَّ اللهَ أَيَّدَنِي حَتَّى الْيَوْمَ، فَمَا أَشْهَدُ بِهِ لَكُمْ جَمِيعًا، كِبَارًا وَصِغَارًا، لَيْسَ إِلَّا مَا وَرَدَ حُدُوثُهُ فِي شَرِيعَةِ مُوسَى وَأَسْفَارِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ:
23
إِنَّمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الْمَسِيحِ أَنْ يُعَانِيَ الْآلَامَ وَالْمَوْتَ، وَيُصْبِحَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ يُبْعَثُ حَيًّا مِنْ بَيْنِ الْأَمْوَاتِ، حَتَّى يَكُونَ سِرَاجًا بَشِيرًا لِلْيَهُودِ وَلِغَيْرِهِمْ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ.»
24
At this point, Festus interrupted the defense of Paul, and shouted, "You are crazy, Paul! Your deep learning has made you crazy!"
عِنْدَئِذٍ قَاطَعَ فِيسْتُ دِفَاعَ بَاوُلَ صَائِحًا: «قَدْ طَارَ عَقْلُكَ، يَا بَاوُلُ! تَعَمُّقُكَ فِي الْعِلْمِ قَدْ جَعَلَكَ مَجْنُونًا!»
25
Paul answered him, "Your excellency Festus, I am not crazy. These words are true and logical.
فَأَجَابَهُ بَاوُلُ: «يَا مَعَالِي فِيسْتَ، لَسْتُ مَجْنُونًا. مَا هَذَا إِلَّا كَلَامَ الْحَقِّ وَالْمَنْطِقِ.
26
His majesty the king, to whom I boldly speak now, knows these things. It is unreasonable that any of them be hidden from him. They did not happen in an isolated corner.
فَجَلَالَةُ الْمَلِكِ الَّذِي أُكَلِّمُهُ الْآنَ بِجُرْأَةٍ يُدْرِكُ هَذِهِ الْأُمُورَ، إِذْ لَيْسَ مَعْقُولًا أَنْ يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ مِنْهَا، ذَلِكَ أَنَّهَا لَمْ تَحْدُثْ فِي زَاوِيَةٍ مُنْعَزِلَةٍ.
27
King Agrippa, do you believe in what Allah has revealed to the anbiya? I know you believe."
أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ أَغْرِيبُ، أَتُؤْمِنُ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ عَلَى الْأَنْبِيَاءِ؟ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تُؤْمِنُ.»
29
Paul said, "Quickly or slowly, I pray in dua' to Allah that you and everyone who hears me today will become a follower of Isa like me, except without these chains."
فَأَجَابَ بَاوُلُ: «عَاجِلًا أَوْ آجِلًا، أَدْعُو اللهَ أَنْ تُصْبِحَ أَنْتَ وَجَمِيعُ مَنْ يَسْمَعُنِي الْيَوْمَ أَيْضًا أَتْبَاعًا مِثْلِي لِعِيسَى، إِنَّمَا دُونَ هَذِهِ الْقُيُودِ.»
30
Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with them stood.
عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ، قَامَ الْمَلِكُ وَالْوَالِي وَبَرْنِيقَةُ وَالْجَالِسُونَ مَعَهُمْ،
31
They went out saying to each other, "This man has not done anything deserving execution or prison."
وَانْسَحَبُوا قَائِلِينَ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ: «لَمْ يَرْتَكِبْ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ شَيْئًا يَسْتَحِقُّ الْإِعْدَامَ أَوِ السَّجْنَ.»
32
Agrippa said to Festus, "If he had not appealed to Caesar, he could be released."
وَقَالَ أَغْرِيبُ لِفِيسْتَ: «لَوْ لَمْ يَسْتَأْنِفْ إِلَى الْقَيْصَرِ، لَكَانَ بِالْإِمْكَانِ إِطْلَاقُ سَرَاحِهِ.»