Acts 26
1 And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching out his hand answered in his defence:
And Agrippa said to Paul: Thou art permitted to speak in thy own behalf. Then Paul extended his hand, and made defence, saying:
2 I count myself happy, king Agrippa, in having to answer to-day before thee concerning all of which I am accused by the Jews,
In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, king Agrippa, I consider myself highly favored, that I may this day make defence before thee:
3 especially because thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
especially, as I know thee to be expert in all the controversies and laws of the Jews. I therefore request thee to hear me with indulgence.
4 My manner of life then from my youth, which from its commencement was passed among my nation in Jerusalem, know all the Jews,
The Jews themselves, if they would testify, know well my course of life from my childhood, which from the beginning was among my nation and in Jerusalem.
5 who knew me before from the outset [of my life], if they would bear witness, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
For they have long been persuaded of me, and have known, that I lived in the princely doctrine of the Pharisees.
6 And now I stand to be judged because of the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
And now, for the hope of the promise which was made by God to our fathers, I stand and am judged.
7 to which our whole twelve tribes serving incessantly day and night hope to arrive; about which hope, O king, I am accused of [the] Jews.
To this hope, our twelve tribes hope to come, with earnest prayers by day and by night: and for this same hope, king Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.
8 Why should it be judged a thing incredible in your sight if God raises the dead?
How judge ye? Are we not to believe, that God will raise the dead?
9 I indeed myself thought that I ought to do much against the name of Jesus the Nazaraean.
For I myself, at first, resolved in my own mind, that I would perpetrate many adverse things against the name of Jesus the Nazarean.
10 Which also I did in Jerusalem, and myself shut up in prisons many of the saints, having received the authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote.
Which I also did at Jerusalem; and by the authority I received from the chief priests, I cast many of the saints into prison and when they were put to death by them, I took part with those that condemned them.
11 And often punishing them in all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme. And, being exceedingly furious against them, I persecuted them even to cities out [of our own land].
And in every synagogue I tortured them, while I pressed them to become revilers of the name of Jesus. And in the great wrath, with which I was filled against them, I also went to other cities to persecute them.
12 And when, [engaged] in this, I was journeying to Damascus, with authority and power from the chief priests,
And, as I was going for this purpose to Damascus, with the authority and license of the chief priests,
13 at mid-day, on the way, I saw, O king, a light above the brightness of the sun, shining from heaven round about me and those who were journeying with me.
at mid-day, on the road, I saw, O king, a light exceeding that of the sun, beaming from heaven upon me, and upon all those with me.
14 And, when we were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [it is] hard for thee to kick against goads.
And we all fell to the ground; and I heard a voice, which said to me, in Hebrew: Saul, Saul! why persecutest thou me? It will be a hard thing for thee to kick against the goads.
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:
And I said: My Lord, who art thou? And our Lord said to me: I am Jesus the Nazarean, whom thou persecutest.
16 but rise up and stand on thy feet; for, for this purpose have I appeared to thee, to appoint thee to be a servant and a witness both of what thou hast seen, and of what I shall appear to thee in,
And he said to me: Stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared to thee, for this purpose, to constitute thee a minister and a witness of this thy seeing me, and of thy seeing me hereafter.
17 taking thee out from among the people, and the nations, to whom I send thee,
And I will deliver thee from the people of the Jews, and from other nations; to whom I send thee,
18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
to open their eyes; that they may turn from darkness to the light, and from the dominion of Satan unto God; and may receive remission of sins, and a portion with the saints, by faith in me.
19 Whereupon, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;
Wherefore, king Agrippa, I did not contumaciously withstand the heavenly vision:
20 but have, first to those both in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judaea, and to the nations, announced that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
but I preached from the first to them in Damascus, and to them in Jerusalem and in all the villages of Judaea; and I preached also to the Gentiles, that they should repent, and should turn to God, and should do the works suitable to repentance.
21 On account of these things the Jews, having seized me in the temple, attempted to lay hands on and destroy me.
And on account of these things, the Jews seized me in the temple, and sought to kill me.
22 Having therefore met with [the] help which is from God, I have stood firm unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing else than those things which both the prophets and Moses have said should happen,
But unto this day God hath helped me; and lo, I stand and bear testimony, to the small and to the great; yet saying nothing aside from Moses and the prophets, but the very things which they declared were to take place:
23 [namely, ] whether Christ should suffer; whether he first, through resurrection of [the] dead, should announce light both to the people and to the nations.
namely, that Messiah would suffer, and would become the first fruits of the resurrection from the dead; and that he would proclaim light to the people and to the Gentiles.
24 And as he answered for his defence with these things, Festus says with a loud voice, Thou art mad, Paul; much learning turns thee to madness.
And when Paul had extended his defence thus far, Festus cried, with a loud voice: Paul, thou art deranged: much study hath deranged thee.
25 But Paul said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but utter words of truth and soberness;
Paul replied to him: I am not deranged, excellent Festus; but speak words of truth and rectitude.
26 for the king is informed about these things, to whom also I speak with all freedom. For I am persuaded that of these things nothing is hidden from him; for this was not done in a corner.
And king Agrippa is also well acquainted with these things; and I therefore speak confidently before him, because I suppose not one of these things hath escaped his knowledge; for they were not done in secret.
27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28 And Agrippa [said] to Paul, In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.
King Agrippa said to him: Almost, thou persuadest me to become a Christian.
29 And Paul [said], I would to God, both in little and in much, that not only thou, but all who have heard me this day, should become such as I also am, except these bonds.
And Paul said: I would to God, that not only thou, but likewise all that hear me this day, were almost, and altogether, as I am, aside from these bonds.
30 And the king stood up, and the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them,
And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
31 and having gone apart, they spoke to one another saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
And when they had gone out, they conversed with one another, and said: This man hath done nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been let go if he had not appealed to Caesar.
And Agrippa said to Festus: The man might be set at liberty, if he had not announced an appeal to Caesar.
