Acts 26
1 And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defence:
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak about yourself." So Paul, with outstretched arm, proceeded to make his defence.
2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defence before thee this day touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews:
"As regards all the accusations brought against me by the Jews," he said, "I think myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in being about to defend myself to-day before you,
3 especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
who are so familiar with all the customs and speculations that prevail among the Jews; and for this reason, I pray you, give me a patient hearing.
4 My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own nation, and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
"The kind of life I have lived from my youth upwards, as exemplified in my early days among my nation and in Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews.
5 having knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify, how that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
For they all know me of old--if they would but testify to the fact--how, being an adherent of the strictest sect of our religion, my life was that of a Pharisee.
6 And now I stand [here] to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;
And now I stand here impeached because of my hope in the fulfilment of the promise made by God to our forefathers--
7 unto which [promise] our twelve tribes, earnestly serving [God] night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king!
the promise which our twelve tribes, worshipping day and night with intense devotedness, hope to have made good to them. It is on the subject of this hope, Sir, that I am accused by the Jews.
8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?
Why is it deemed with all of you a thing past belief if God raises the dead to life?
9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
"I myself, however, thought it a duty to do many things in hostility to the name of Jesus, the Nazarene.
10 And this I also did in Jerusalem: and 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 that was how I acted in Jerusalem. Armed with authority received from the High Priests I shut up many of God's people in various prisons, and when they were about to be put to death I gave my vote against them.
11 And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.
In all the synagogues also I punished them many a time, and tried to make them blaspheme; and in my wild fury I chased them even to foreign towns.
12 Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
"While thus engaged, I was travelling one day to Damascus armed with authority and a commission from the High Priests,
13 at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me.
and on the journey, at noon, Sir, I saw a light from Heaven--brighter than the brightness of the sun--shining around me and around those who were travelling with me.
14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the goad.
We all fell to the ground; and I heard a voice which said to me in Hebrew, "'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? You are finding it painful to kick against the ox-goad.'
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
"'Who art Thou, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied.
16 But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee;
'But rise, and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you My servant and My witness both as to the things you have already seen and as to those in which I will appear to you.
17 delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,
I will save you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you to open their eyes,
18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
that they may turn from darkness to light and from the obedience to Satan to God, in order to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified through faith in Me.'
19 Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
"Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;
20 but declared both to them of Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
but I proceeded to preach first to the people in Damascus, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and to the Gentiles, that they must repent and turn to God, and live lives consistent with such repentance.
21 For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.
"It was on this account that the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me.
22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come;
Having, however, obtained the help which is from God, I have stood firm until now, and have solemnly exhorted rich and poor alike, saying nothing except what the Prophets and Moses predicted as soon to happen,
23 how that the Christ must suffer, [and] how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.
since the Christ was to be a suffering Christ, and by coming back from the dead was then to be the first to proclaim a message of light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."
24 And as he thus made his defence, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning doth turn thee to madness.
As Paul thus made his defence, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, "You are raving mad, Paul; and great learning is driving you mad."
25 But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness.
"I am not mad, most noble Festus," replied Paul; "I am speaking words of sober truth.
26 For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath not been done in a corner.
For the King, to whom I speak freely, knows about these matters. I am not to be persuaded that any detail of them has escaped his notice; for these things have not been done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe them."
28 And Agrippa [said] unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
Agrippa answered, "In brief, you are doing your best to persuade me to become a Christian."
29 And Paul [said], I would to God, that whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except these bonds.
"My prayer to God, whether briefly or at length," replied Paul, "would be that not only you but all who are my hearers to-day, might become such as I am--except these chains."
30 And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
So the King rose, and the Governor, and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them;
31 and when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
and, having withdrawn, they talked to one another and said, "This man is doing nothing for which he deserves death or imprisonment."
32 And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.
And Agrippa said to Festus, "He might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar."
