Acts 26

1 And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted to thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul reaching forth his hand, proceeded with his defence:

And Agrippa said unto Paul, 'It is permitted to thee to speak for thyself;' then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a defence:

2 O king Agrippa, I consider myself happy, being about this day to make my defence before thee concerning all those 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 happy, being about to make a defence before thee to-day,

3 especially as thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions among the Jews: therefore I pray you to hear me patiently.

especially knowing thee to be acquainted with all things — both customs and questions — among Jews; wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently to hear me.

4 Moreover indeed all the Jews know my life from my youth; being from the beginning in my nation and in Jerusalem,

'The manner of my life then, indeed, from youth — which from the beginning was among my nation, in Jerusalem — know do all the Jews,

5 knowing me originally, if they may be willing to testify, that according to the most rigid sect of our religion I lived 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 for the hope of the promise which is from God to our fathers, I stand being judged:

and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,

7 unto which our twelve tribes constantly worshiping night and day, hope to attain: concerning which hope I am accused by the Jews, O king.

to which our twelve tribes, intently night and day serving, do hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, king Agrippa, by the Jews;

8 Why is it judged by you incredible, if God shall raise the dead?

why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?

9 Moreover indeed, I thought to myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene:

'I, indeed, therefore, thought with myself, that against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved [me] many things to do,

10 which I did also in Jerusalem, and shut up many of the saints in prison; and having received authority from the chief priests, and they being slain, I gave my vote against them;

which also I did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I in prison did shut up, from the chief priests having received the authority; they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them,

11 and throughout all the synagogues, frequently punishing them, I compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceeding mad against them, I was persecuting them even also unto 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 unto strange cities.

12 Meanwhile journeying to Damascus with power and authority of the chief priests, I saw on the way, O king,

'In which things, also, going on to Damascus — with authority and commission from the chief priests —

13 about midday, a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me;

at mid-day, I saw in the way, O king, out of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me a light — and those going on with me;

14 and we all having fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against goads.

and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? hard for thee against pricks to kick!

15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou art persecuting.

'And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute;

16 But rise up, and stand upon thy feet: for unto this have I appeared unto thee, to make thee a minister and a martyr both of those things which thou hast seen, and of which I will appear unto thee;

but rise, and stand upon thy feet, for for this I appeared to thee, to appoint thee an officer and a witness both of the things thou didst see, and of the things [in which] I will appear to thee,

17 delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

delivering thee from the people, and the nations, to whom now I send thee,

18 to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God, in order that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

to open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of the Adversary unto God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified, by faith that [is] toward me.

19 Therefore, O king, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision:

'Whereupon, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20 but first to those in Damascus, and also in Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and to the Gentiles, I was preaching that they should repent and turn to God, doing things worthy of repentance.

but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, to all the region also of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to reform, and to turn back unto God, doing works worthy of reformation;

21 On account of these things the Jews, taking me while in the temple, endeavored to kill me.

because of these things the Jews — having caught me in the temple — were endeavouring to kill [me].

22 Then having received help from God, I have stood unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said were about to come to pass:

'Having obtained, therefore, help from God, till this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spake of as about to come,

23 how that Christ must suffer, how being the first from the resurrection of the dead, he is to proclaim light both to the people, and the Gentiles.

that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a rising from the dead, he is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.'

24 And he making his defence to these things, Festus says with a loud voice, O Paul, thou art beside thyself; many writings turned thee into insanity.

And, he thus making a defence, Festus with a loud voice said, 'Thou art mad, Paul; much learning doth turn thee mad;'

25 But Paul says, I am not a maniac, most noble Festus; but I speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

and he saith, 'I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness the sayings I speak forth;

26 For the king, to whom I also speak boldly, knows concerning these things: for I am persuaded that nothing of these things is hidden; for this has not been done in a corner.

for the king doth know concerning these things, before whom also I speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing hath not been done in a corner;

27 O king Agrippa, dost thou believe the prophets? I know that thou believest them.

thou dost believe, king Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that thou dost believe!'

28 And Agrippa said to Paul, With little persuasion thou dost persuade thyself to make me a Christian.

And Agrippa said unto Paul, 'In a little thou dost persuade me to become a Christian!'

29 And Paul said, I would to God, that both in little and in much, not only you, but also all of those hearing me this day, were such as I am, except these bonds.

and Paul said, 'I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only thee, but also all those hearing me to-day, to become such as I also am — except these bonds.'

30 And the king, and the governor, and Bernice, and those sitting with them, arose up:

And, he having spoken these things, the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and those sitting with them,

31 and having gone away, they were talking to one another, saying, that This man is doing nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

and having withdrawn, they were speaking unto one another, saying — 'This man doth nothing worthy of death or of bonds;'

32 But Agrippa said to Festus, This man was able to have been released, 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.'