4“Many HYP of my fellow Jews know about how I have conducted my life, from the time I was a child. They know how I lived in the area where I was born and also later in Jerusalem.
5They have known for many years, and they could tell you, if they wanted to, that since I was very young I obeyed the customs of our religion very carefully, just like the other Pharisees do.
6Today I am being put on trial { they are putting me on trial} because I am confidently expecting that God will do what he promised our (exc) ancestors.
7Our twelve tribes are also confidently waiting for God to do for us what he promised, as they respectfully worship him, day and night. Respected king, I confidently expect that God will do what he promised, and they also believe that! But that is the reason that these Jewish leaders SYN are accusing me!
8They believe that God can cause those who have died to become alive again, so ◄why do any of you refuse to believe that he raised Jesus from the dead?/none of you should refuse to believe that he raised Jesus from the dead!► RHQ”
9“ Formerly I, too, was sure that I should do everything that I could to oppose Jesus MTY, the man from Nazareth town.
10So that is what I did when I lived in Jerusalem. I put many of the believers in jail, as the chief priests there had authorized me to do. When the Jewish leaders wanted those Christians killed {someone to kill those Christians}, I voted for that.
11Many times I punished the believers whom I found in Jewish meeting places. By punishing them, I tried to force them to speak evil about Jesus. I was so angry with the followers of Jesus that I even traveled to other cities to find them and do things to harm them.”
12“ One day, I was on my way to Damascus city to do that. The chief priests in Jerusalem had authorized and sent me to seize the believers there.
13My respected king, while I was going along the road, at about noon I saw a bright light in the sky. It was even brighter than the sun! It shone all around me, and also around the men who were traveling with me.
14We (exc) all fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking to me in my own Hebrew language MTY. He said ‘Saul, Saul, ◄stop causing me to suffer!/why are you causing me to suffer?► RHQ You (sg) are hurting yourself by trying to hurt me MET, like an ox kicking against its owner's goad.’
15Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘I am Jesus. You (sg) are harming me by harming my followers.
16But instead of continuing to do that, stand up now! I have appeared to you (sg) to tell you that I have chosen you to serve me. You must tell people about what I am showing you as you are seeing me now, and about what I will show you when I will later appear to you.
17I will protect you from those who will try to harm you, both your own people and also those who are not Jewish. I am sending you to non-Jews
18to help them to realize MTY what is true and to stop believing what is false MET. I am sending you to them so that they may let God control them and not let Satan control them anymore. Then God will forgive their sins and will accept them as his people because they believe in me.’ That is what Jesus said to me.”
19“So, King Agrippa, I fully obeyed LIT what the Lord Jesus told me to do when he spoke to me from heaven.
Acts 26
Acts 26:4-19