Acts 26

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

Then Agrippa said to Paul: You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and answered for himself.

2 "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,

I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall this day make my defense before you, concerning all things of which I am accused by the Jews;

3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

especially, since you are acquainted with all the customs and questions that are among the Jews. For this reason, I beseech you to hear me patiently.

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

My course of life from my youth, which, from the beginning, was among my own nation in Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

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

who, knowing me from the first, could testify, if they would, that, according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.

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

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers;

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

to which promise our twelve tribes, zealously serving night and day, hope to come: on account of which hope, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

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

What? Is it thought a thing incredible among you, that God raises the dead?

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

I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazarene.

10 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.

And this I did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests: and when they were put to death, I gave my vote against them.

11 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.

And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to speak impiously; and, being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12 "Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,

While I was engaged in these things, and was going to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

13 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.

at midday, while I was on the road, I saw, O King, a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and those who journeyed with me.

14 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.'

And when we had all fallen 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.

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

And I said, Who art thou, Lord? He replied, I am Jesus, whom you persecute.

16 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;

But arise, and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness of the things which you have seen, and of those in which I will appear to you,

17 delivering you from the people, and from the non-Jewish people, to whom I send you,

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

18 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.'

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

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

Wherefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;

20 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.

but announced first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.

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

For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple, and endeavored to kill me.

22 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,

Having, therefore, obtained help from God, I have stood till this day, testifying both to small and to great, saying nothing else than the things which the prophets and Moses did say should come to pass:

23 how the Christ 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."

that Christ should suffer, and that he first, by his resurrection from the dead, should show light to the people, and to the Gentiles.

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

And as he spoke these things in his defense, Festus said, with a loud voice; Paul, you are mad; much learning drives you to madness.

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

But he replied: I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

26 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.

For the king has knowledge of these things, before whom, also, I speak with boldness; for I am persuaded that none of these things have escaped his notice; for this was not 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 Agrippa said to Paul, "With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?"

Then Agrippa said to Paul: You almost persuade me to be a Christian.

29 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."

And Paul replied: I could pray to God, that not only you, but also all that hear me to-day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

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

And the king arose, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.

31 When they had withdrawn, they spoke one to another, saying, "This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds."

And when they had withdrawn, they conversed with one another, saying: This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

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

And Agrippa said to Festus: This man could have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Cæsar