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:

Agrippa said to Paul, "You may speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his 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,

"I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you this day concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews,

3 especially because you are expert in all the Jewish customs and issues; therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among Jews. Therefore I beg 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,

"Indeed, all Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;

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.

having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6 And now I stand here being judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

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.

which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O King.

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

Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?

9 “However, I myself thought that I had to perpetrate many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Natsorean;

"In fact, I thought to myself that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazorean.

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.

This I also did in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were 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.

Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12 “It was on one of those journeys, as I was going to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests,

"Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the 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 noon, O King, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled 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.’

When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

15 So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And He said: ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

"I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' "He said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

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 arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen me, and of the things which I will reveal to you;

17 delivering you from ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations, to which I am sending you:

delivering you from the people, and from the non-Jewish people, to whom I 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, 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 who are sanctified by faith in me.'

19 Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision

"Therefore, 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 declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the non-Jews, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

21 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

For this reason Jews seized me when I was in the temple, and tried 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 therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said would happen,

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.”

how the Messiah would suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to non-Jewish people."

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!”

As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are crazy. Your great learning is driving you insane."

25 So he said: “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus; rather I pronounce words of truth and reasonableness.

But he said, "I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.

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 of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.

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

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe."

28 So Agrippa said to Paul, “You will soon persuade me to become a Christian!”

Agrippa said to Paul, "With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Follower of the Messiah?"

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.”

Paul said, "I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these bonds."

30 Upon his saying this, the king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them;

The king rose up with the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.

31 and when they had withdrawn they started talking among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”

When they had withdrawn, they spoke one to 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.”

Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."