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 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 concerning all the things that I am accused 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 because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

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 "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 manner of life then from my youth, which from its commencement was passed among my 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 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 Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

And now I stand to be judged because of 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 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 judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?

Why should it be judged a thing incredible in your sight 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 myself thought that I ought to do much against the name of Jesus the Nazaraean.

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.

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

And when, [engaged] in this, I was journeying to Damascus, with authority and power 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 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 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 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 "I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' "He 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 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 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 delivering you from the people, and from the non-Jewish people, to whom I send you,

taking thee out from among the people, and the nations, to whom 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, 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 "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

Whereupon, 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 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 Jews seized me when I was 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 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 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 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."

[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 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 answered for his defence with these things, Festus says with a loud voice, Thou art mad, Paul; much learning turns thee to madness.

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

But Paul said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but utter 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 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 said to Paul, "With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?"

And Agrippa [said] to Paul, In a little thou persuadest 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."

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

And the king stood up, 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 having gone apart, they spoke to 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 might have been let go if he had not appealed to Caesar.