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." So Paul stretched forth his hand and began to make his defense.

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, that I am to make my defense before you this day, in regard to all the accusations brought against me 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 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.

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;

"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.

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.

"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.

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

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

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

"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.

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

"Why is it deemed incredible by you all, if 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 indeed once 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 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.

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.

"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.

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

"On this errand I was traveling to Damascus one day, armed with authority and commission of 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.

"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.

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.'

"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.’

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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.'

"‘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.’

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

"So then, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto 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 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.

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

"For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple, and tried 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,

"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;

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."

"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."

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

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

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

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

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.

"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.

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?"

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

"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."

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

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

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

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

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

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