Acts 26

1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, It is granted to you to speak for yourself. Then Paul, stretching forth his hand, made 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 esteem myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am this day to make my defense before you, 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 blessed, being about to make a defense before you today,

3 especially as you are acquainted with all the customs and questions among the Jews: wherefore, I entreat you, that you will hear me with patience.

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 The manner of my life, from my youth, which, from the beginning, was spent among my own nation, in Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews;

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

5 who knew me from the first, (if they would testify, ) that, according to the strictest 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 I stand in judgment for the hope of that promise, which was 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 promise, our twelve tribes, worshiping continually, night and day, hope to attain: concerning which hope, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

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 it be judged an incredible thing, by you, that God should raise the dead?

why is it judged incredible with you if God raises the dead?

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

I indeed, therefore, thought with myself that it was necessary [for me] to do many things against the Name of Jesus of Nazareth,

10 Which, accordingly, I did in Jerusalem; and I shut up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests. And when some of them were killed, I gave 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 and frequently punishing them in all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme: and being exceedingly mad against them, 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 With this view, I was going to Damascus, with authority and commission from the chief priests;

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

13 at mid-day, on the road, King Agrippa, I saw a light from heaven, exceeding the splendor of the sun, shining about me, and those who traveled 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 And when we were all fallen down to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying, in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute 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 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute.

And I said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus whom you persecute;

16 But arise, and stand upon your feet, for to this purpose I have appeared to you, to ordain you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen, and of those which I will hereafter show 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 from the Gentiles; to whom I now send you--

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

18 to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; that they may receive forgiveness of sons, and an inheritance amongst the sanctified, through faith in 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 From that time, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision:

After which, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20 but declared, first to them at Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and through all the country of Judea; and then to the Gentiles, that they should reform, and return to God, performing deeds worthy of reformation.

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 On account of these things, the Jews seizing me in the temple, attempted to have killed me with their own hands.

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

22 Having, therefore, obtained help from God, I continue, till this day, testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses have declared would be;

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 be a sufferer--would be first of a resurrection from the dead--would give light to the people, and to the Gentiles.

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 And as he was thus making his defense, Festus said, with a loud voice, Paul, you are distracted: much learning drives you to madness.

And he thus making a defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “You are mad, Paul; much learning turns you mad!”

25 But he replied, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but utter the words of truth and soberness.

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 of these things; to whom, also, I speak with freedom: for I am persuaded none of these things are hid from him, for this 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 Then Agrippa said to Paul, You almost persuade me to be a Christian.

And Agrippa said to Paul, “In [so] little you persuade me to become a Christian?”

29 And Paul said, I would to God that, not only you, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except 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 And as he said this, the king arose, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat 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 retired, they spoke one with another, saying, This man has done nothing worthy of death, or of bonds.

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 might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Cesar.

and Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”