Acts 26

1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." So Paul stretched forth his hand and began to make his defense.

And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching out his hand answered in his defence:

2 "I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you this day, in regard to all the accusations brought against me by the Jews;

I count myself happy, king Agrippa, in having to answer to-day before thee concerning all of which I am accused by the Jews,

3 "especially since you are an export in all Jewish customs and questions. I pray you, expert in all Jewish customs and questions. I pray you, hear me with patience.

especially because thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

4 "The kind of life I have lived from my youth upward among my own nation and at Jerusalem, all that early life of mine, is well known to all the Jews.

My manner of life then from my youth, which from its commencement was passed among my nation in Jerusalem, know all the Jews,

5 "They know me of old, if they are willing to testify, how that according to the strict sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.

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.

6 "Today I am standing trial because of the hope of the promise made by God to our ancestors,

And now I stand to be judged because of the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

7 "a promise which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. It is concerning this hope, King Agrippa, that I am accused by the Jews.

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.

8 "Why is it deemed incredible by you all, if God raises the dead?

Why should it be judged a thing incredible in your sight if God raises the dead?

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

I indeed myself thought that I ought to do much against the name of Jesus the Nazaraean.

10 "And this also I did in Jerusalem. Armed with authority from the chief priests, I shut up many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death I gave my vote against them.

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.

11 "In all the synagogues also I punished them oftentimes, and tried to make them blaspheme; and in my mad fury I was pursuing them even to foreign cities.

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].

12 "On this errand I was traveling to Damascus one day, armed with authority and commission of the chief priests,

And when, [engaged] in this, I was journeying to Damascus, with authority and power from the chief priests,

13 "when at noon, as I journeyed, O King, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and around those who journeyed with me.

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.

14 "We all fell to the ground; and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew. "‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.’

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.

15 "‘Who are you, Lord?’ I said. "And the Lord said. ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:

16 "‘But rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you my minister and my witness both of what you have already seen and of those things in which I will appear to you.

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,

17 "‘I will deliver you from the Jewish people, and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you to open their eyes

taking thee out from among the people, and the nations, to whom I send thee,

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

19 "So then, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision;

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

20 "but I proceeded to preach, first to those in Damascus, and then in Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they must repent and turn to God and do deeds worthy of repentance.

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.

21 "For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me.

On account of these things the Jews, having seized me in the temple, attempted to lay hands on and destroy me.

22 "But having obtained the help that comes from God, I stand even to this day witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing except what the prophets and Moses said should come;

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,

23 "how that the Christ must suffer, and how he should be the first to rise from the dead, and should bring a message of light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."

[namely, ] whether Christ should suffer; whether he first, through resurrection of [the] dead, should announce light both to the people and to the nations.

24 As Paul thus made his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice. "Paul, you are raving mad; your great learning is driving you mad."

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.

25 "I am not mad, most noble Festus," said Paul,

But Paul said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but utter words of truth and soberness;

26 "I am speaking words of sober truth. For the King, to whom I am speaking freely, knows of these matters. I am persuaded that not one of these things has escaped his notice; for these things were not done in a corner.

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.

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

King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

28 Agrippa answered, "In short, you are doing your best to persuade me to become a Christian."

And Agrippa [said] to Paul, In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

29 "Long or short," answered Paul, "my prayer to God is that not only you but all who are my hearers this day might become such as I am, save for these chains."

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.

30 Then the king rose, and Bernice, and those who were sitting with him.

And the king stood up, and the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them,

31 When they had withdrawn they continued talking to one another. "This man is doing nothing," they said, "for which he deserves death or imprisonment."

and having gone apart, they spoke to one another saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

32 And Agrippa said to Festus, "If he had not appealed to Caesar, he might have been set free."

And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been let go if he had not appealed to Caesar.