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 unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching forth his hand, thus made 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,

"O king Agrippa, I think myself happy, that I am this day to make my defence before thee, concerning all the things which I am accused of 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 which are among the Jews; wherefore I intreat 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, as it has been from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews are acquainted with,

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 before, (if they would testify it, ) 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 arraigned for the hope of the promise which was 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, worshipping continually night and day, hope to attain: concerning which hope, O 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 judged incredible by you, that God should raise 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 contrary to 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.

which I also did in Jerusalem; and I shut up many of the saints in prison, having received authority for it from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my voice 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 often punishing them in all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme, and being excessively enraged 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,

On which accounts as I was going to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests---at mid-day,

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.

O king, as I was on the way thither I saw a light from heaven exceeding the splendor of the sun, shining round about me and those that were going 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 down to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me? It is hard for thee 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? And He 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, and stand on thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things which thou hast seen, and of those for which I shall hereafter 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, to whom I now 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, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God; that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.

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

Wherefore, O 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 declared first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, and through all the country of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, and turn unto God, performing works suitable to repentance.

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

For these things the Jews seized me in the temple, and attempted 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 help of God, I continue until this day, testifying both to small and great, and saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses declared should come to pass; even that the Messiah should suffer,

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."

and being the first of the resurrection from the dead should bring 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 was saying these things in his defence, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself: much learning turns thy brain.

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 noble Festus; but I speak the words of truth and of a sound mind.

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 knoweth of these things, to whom also I speak with freedom; because I am persuaded that none of them are unknown to him; for this was not done in a corner.

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

O king Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?

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

I know that thou believest them. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou almost persuadest 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 said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this 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 when he had said this, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those that 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 were retired, they spake to each other, saying, this man hath done 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 set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Cesar.