Acts 26
1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
And Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted to you to speak for yourself”; then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a defense:
2 “I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in that I am to make my defense before you this day concerning the things of which I am accused by the Jews,
“Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, King Agrippa, I have thought myself blessed, being about to make a defense before you today,
3 especially because you are expert in all the Jewish customs and issues; therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
especially knowing you to be acquainted with all things—both customs and questions—among Jews; for this reason, I implore you to hear me patiently.
4 Really, the Jews all know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem,
The manner of my life then, indeed, from youth—which from the beginning was among my nation, in Jerusalem—all the Jews know,
5 since they have known me for a long time, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.
knowing me before from the first (if they may be willing to testify), that after the most exact sect of our worship, I lived a Pharisee;
6 And now I stand here being judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,
7 to which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. It is because of this hope that I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa.
to which our twelve tribes, intently serving night and day, hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, King Agrippa, by the Jews;
8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
why is it judged incredible with you if God raises the dead?
9 “However, I myself thought that I had to perpetrate many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Natsorean;
I indeed, therefore, thought with myself that it was necessary [for me] to do many things against the Name of Jesus of Nazareth,
10 I actually did this in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.
which I also did in Jerusalem, and I shut up many of the holy ones in prison, having received the authority from the chief priests; they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them,
11 Yes, I punished them often in every synagogue, trying to force them to blaspheme; I was so excessively enraged against them that I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining [them] to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting [them] even to strange cities.
12 “It was on one of those journeys, as I was going to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests,
In which things, also, going on to Damascus—with authority and commission from the chief priests—
13 at midday, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, blazing around me and those traveling with me.
at midday, I saw in the way, O king, out of Heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining around me a light—and those going on with me;
14 Well we all fell to the ground and I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? [It is] hard for you to kick against goads!
15 So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And He said: ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
And I said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus whom you persecute;
16 Now get up and stand on your feet; because I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness both of the things you have seen and of the things I will reveal to you,
but rise, and stand on your feet, for this I appeared to you, to appoint you an officer and a witness both of the things you saw, and of the things [in which] I will appear to you,
17 delivering you from ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations, to which I am sending you:
delivering you from the people, and the nations, to whom I now send you,
18 to open their eyes, so as to bring them back from darkness into light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified, by faith into me.’
to open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of Satan to God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified by faith that [is] toward Me.
19 Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision
After which, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 —first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to all the region of Judea and to the ethnic nations, I still preach: ‘repent and turn back to God, doing works worthy of repentance.’
but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, also to all the region of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to convert, and to turn back to God, doing works worthy of conversion;
21 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
because of these things the Jews—having caught me in the temple—were endeavoring to kill [me].
22 So then, having experienced the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying to both small and great, saying nothing beyond what both the prophets and Moses said would happen
Having obtained, therefore, help from God, until this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spoke of as about to come,
23 —that the Messiah would suffer; that as the first to rise from the dead He would proclaim light to both ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations.”
that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a resurrection from the dead, He is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.”
24 Well as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
And he thus making a defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “You are mad, Paul; much learning turns you mad!”
25 So he said: “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus; rather I pronounce words of truth and reasonableness.
And he says, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness I speak forth the sayings;
26 For the king knows about these things, before whom I speak freely; for I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, since it was not done in a corner.
for the king knows concerning these things, before whom I also speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing has not been done in a corner;
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
do you believe, King Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that you believe!”
28 So Agrippa said to Paul, “You will soon persuade me to become a Christian!”
And Agrippa said to Paul, “In [so] little you persuade me to become a Christian?”
29 So Paul said, “Whether sooner or later, I would to God that not only you but also all who are hearing me this day may become such as I am, except for these chains.”
And Paul said, “I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only you, but also all those hearing me today, to become such as I also am—except these bonds.”
30 Upon his saying this, the king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them;
And he having spoken these things, the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and those sitting with them,
31 and when they had withdrawn they started talking among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”
and having withdrawn, they were speaking to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds”;
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free, if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
and Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
