Acts 26
1 And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul, having stretched forth his hand, made a defense.
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak about yourself." So Paul, with outstretched arm, proceeded to make his defence.
2 Concerning all things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself blessed, being about to make my defense before thee today.
"As regards all the accusations brought against me by the Jews," he said, "I think myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in being about to defend myself to-day before you,
3 Especially thee, being an expert of all things regarding Jews, both habits and issues. Therefore I beg thee to hear me patiently.
who are so familiar with all the customs and speculations that prevail among the Jews; and for this reason, I pray you, give me a patient hearing.
4 Indeed therefore, my manner of life from youth, having developed from the beginning among my nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know,
"The kind of life I have lived from my youth upwards, as exemplified in my early days among my nation and in Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews.
5 having known me previously from the beginning, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
For they all know me of old--if they would but testify to the fact--how, being an adherent of the strictest sect of our religion, my life was that of a Pharisee.
6 And now for the hope of the promise made by God to the fathers, I stand being judged,
And now I stand here impeached because of my hope in the fulfilment of the promise made by God to our forefathers--
7 to which our twelve tribes, serving in earnestness night and day, hope to attain, about which hope, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews!
the promise which our twelve tribes, worshipping day and night with intense devotedness, hope to have made good to them. It is on the subject of this hope, Sir, that I am accused by the Jews.
8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if God raises the dead?
Why is it deemed with all of you a thing past belief if God raises the dead to life?
9 Indeed therefore I thought it necessary for myself to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene,
"I myself, however, thought it a duty to do many things in hostility to the name of Jesus, the Nazarene.
10 which also I did at Jerusalem. And I locked up many of the sanctified in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests. And when they were killed, I gave a vote against them.
And that was how I acted in Jerusalem. Armed with authority received from the High Priests I shut up many of God's people in various prisons, and when they were about to be put to death I gave my vote against them.
11 And punishing them often at all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme. And being extraordinarily furious toward them, I persecuted them even as far as to outside cities.
In all the synagogues also I punished them many a time, and tried to make them blaspheme; and in my wild fury I chased them even to foreign towns.
12 And during which, while going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
"While thus engaged, I was travelling one day to Damascus armed with authority and a commission from the High Priests,
13 at midday, O king, I saw on the road a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, which shone around me and those who went with me.
and on the journey, at noon, Sir, I saw a light from Heaven--brighter than the brightness of the sun--shining around me and around those who were travelling with me.
14 And when we all fell to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why do thou persecute me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.
We all fell to the ground; and I heard a voice which said to me in Hebrew, "'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? You are finding it painful to kick against the ox-goad.'
15 And I said, Who are thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecute.
"'Who art Thou, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied.
16 But arise, and stand upon thy feet, for I appeared to thee for this, to appoint thee an assistant and a witness both of things that thou saw, and of the things that I will make visible to thee,
'But rise, and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you My servant and My witness both as to the things you have already seen and as to those in which I will appear to you.
17 delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send thee,
I will save you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you to open their eyes,
18 to open their eyes to turn about from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, for them to receive remission of sins and a lot among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.
that they may turn from darkness to light and from the obedience to Satan to God, in order to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified through faith in Me.'
19 Whereupon, King Agrippa, I did not become disobedient to the heavenly vision,
"Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;
20 but declaring first to those at Damascus and then at Jerusalem, and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, to repent and return to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
but I proceeded to preach first to the people in Damascus, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and to the Gentiles, that they must repent and turn to God, and live lives consistent with such repentance.
21 Because of these things the Jews, having seized me in the temple, tried to grasp and kill me.
"It was on this account that the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me.
22 Having therefore experienced the help from God, I stand to this day solemnly declaring both to small and great, saying nothing apart from what both the prophets and Moses said was going to happen,
Having, however, obtained the help which is from God, I have stood firm until now, and have solemnly exhorted rich and poor alike, saying nothing except what the Prophets and Moses predicted as soon to happen,
23 that the suffering Christ, since first from a resurrection of the dead, is going to proclaim light to our people and to the nations.
since the Christ was to be a suffering Christ, and by coming back from the dead was then to be the first to proclaim a message of light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."
24 And while he made a defense by these things, Festus said in a loud voice, Paul, thou are mad. Much scholarship is driving thee into madness.
As Paul thus made his defence, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, "You are raving mad, Paul; and great learning is driving you mad."
25 But Paul says, I am not mad, eminent Festus, but I speak forth sayings of truth and soberness.
"I am not mad, most noble Festus," replied Paul; "I am speaking words of sober truth.
26 For the king knows about these things, before whom I also speak boldly. For I am convinced not any of these things, nothing, to be hidden from him. For this was not done in a corner.
For the King, to whom I speak freely, knows about these matters. I am not to be persuaded that any detail of them has escaped his notice; for these things have not been done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, do thou believe the prophets? I know that thou believe.
King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe them."
28 And Agrippa said to Paul, By a little thou persuade me to become a Christian.
Agrippa answered, "In brief, you are doing your best to persuade me to become a Christian."
29 And Paul said, I ever pray to God, both by little and by much, not only thee, but also all who hear me this day, to become such kind as I also am, apart from these bonds.
"My prayer to God, whether briefly or at length," replied Paul, "would be that not only you but all who are my hearers to-day, might become such as I am--except these chains."
30 And when he spoke these things, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
So the King rose, and the Governor, and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them;
31 And having withdrawn, they spoke to each other, saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
and, having withdrawn, they talked to one another and said, "This man is doing nothing for which he deserves death or imprisonment."
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been released, if he had not appealed Caesar.
And Agrippa said to Festus, "He might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar."
