Acts 26

1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

Then Agrippa sayd vnto Paul, Thou art permitted to speake for thy selfe. So Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himselfe.

2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,

I thinke my selfe happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answere this day before thee of all the things whereof I am accused of the Iewes.

3 especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.

Chiefly, because thou hast knowledge of all customes, and questions which are among the Iewes: wherefore I beseech thee, to heare me patiently.

4 Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem.

As touching my life from my childhood, and what it was from the beginning among mine owne nation at Hierusalem, know all the Iewes,

5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.

Which knewe me heretofore, euen from my elders (if they would testifie) that after the most straite sect of our religion I liued a Pharise.

6 And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,

And now I stand and am accused for the hope of the promise made of God vnto our fathers.

7 the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.

Whereunto our twelue tribes instantly seruing God day and night, hope to come: for the which hopes sake, O King Agrippa, I am accused of the Iewes.

8 Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

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

9 So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

I also verely thought in my selfe, that I ought to doe many contrarie things against the Name of Iesus of Nazareth.

10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.

Which thing I also did in Hierusalem: for many of the Saints I shut vp in prison, hauing receiued authoritie of the hie Priests, and when they were put to death, I gaue my sentence.

11 I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.

And I punished them throughout all the Synagogues, and compelled them to blaspheme, and being more mad against them, I persecuted them, euen vnto strange cities.

12 In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.

At which time, euen as I went to Damascus with authoritie, and commission from the hie Priests,

13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.

At midday, O King, I sawe in the way a light from heauen, passing the brightnes of the sunne, shine round about mee, and them which went with me.

14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

So when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voyce speaking vnto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kicke against pricks.

15 ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.

Then I sayd, Who art thou, Lord? And he sayd, I am Iesus whom thou persecutest.

16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.

But rise and stand vp on thy feete: for I haue appeared vnto thee for this purpose, to appoint thee a minister and a witnesse, both of the things which thou hast seene, and of the things in the which I will appeare vnto thee,

17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them

Deliuering thee from this people, and from the Gentiles, vnto whom now I send thee,

18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’

To open their eyes, that they may turne from darknes to light, and from the power of Satan vnto God, that they may receiue forgiuenes of sinnes, and inheritance among them, which are sanctified by fayth in me.

19 So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

Wherefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient vnto the heauenly vision,

20 First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.

But shewed first vnto them of Damascus, and at Hierusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Iudea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turne to God, and doe workes worthy amendment of life.

21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.

For this cause the Iewes caught me in the Temple, and went about to kill me.

22 But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:

Neuertheles, I obteined helpe of God, and continue vnto this day, witnessing both to small and to great, saying none other things, then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come,

23 that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

To wit, that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light vnto this people, and to the Gentiles.

24 At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”

And as he thus answered for himselfe, Festus said with a loude voyce, Paul, thou art besides thy selfe: much learning doeth make thee mad.

25 But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.

But he said, I am not mad, O noble Festus, but I speake the wordes of trueth and sobernes.

26 For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.

For the King knoweth of these things, before whom also I speake boldly: for I am perswaded that none of these things are hidden from him: for this thing was not done in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

O King Agrippa, beleeuest thou the Prophets? I know that thou beleeuest.

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”

Then Agrippa said vnto Paul, Almost thou perswadest me to become a Christian.

29 “Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”

Then Paul sayd, I would to God that not onely thou, but also all that heare me to day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

30 Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.

And when he had thus spoken, the King rose vp, and the gouernour, and Bernice, and they that sate with them.

31 On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”

And when they were gone apart, they talked betweene themselues, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death, nor of bonds.

32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Then sayd Agrippa vnto Festus, This man might haue bene loosed, if hee had not appealed vnto Cesar.