Acts 26

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

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

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 Judeans,

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:

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

especially as thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions among the Jews: therefore I pray 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;

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 This I also did in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the kadoshim in prisons, having received authority from the chief cohanim, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

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;

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 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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.'

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.

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

Therefore, O king, 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 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.

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

On account of these things the Jews, taking me while in the temple, 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,

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:

23 how the Messiah 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 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.

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 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.

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

But Paul says, I am not a maniac, most noble Festus; but I 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, 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.

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

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

28 Agrippa said to Paul, "With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Messianic?"

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

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

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

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

and having gone away, they were talking to one another, saying, that This man is doing 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."

But Agrippa said to Festus, This man was able to have been released, if he had not appealed to Caesar.