Acts 26

1 And, Agrippa, to Paul, said—It is permitted thee, on thine own behalf, to be speaking. Then Paul, stretching forth his hand, went on to make his defence.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

2 Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, King Agrippa, I have been counting myself happy, that, before thee, am I about, this day, to be making my defence;

“I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in that I am to make my defense before you this day concerning the things of which I am accused by the Jews,

3 especially, as thou art, well-versed, in all the Jewish customs and questions. Wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently, to hear me.

especially because you are expert in all the Jewish customs and issues; therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

4 My manner of life, then, from my youth, which, from its commencement, was formed among my nation, even in Jerusalem, know all Jews,

Really, the Jews all know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem,

5 inasmuch as they were aforetime observing me, from the outset, —if they please to bear witness, —that, according to the strictest sect of our own religion, I lived, a Pharisee.

since they have known me for a long time, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.

6 And, now, for the hope of the promise, unto our fathers, being brought to pass by God, am I standing to be judged, —

And now I stand here being judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

7 unto which [hope], our twelve-tribed nation, with intensity, night and day, rendering divine service, is hoping to attain—concerning which hope, I am being accused by Jews, O King!

to which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. It is because of this hope that I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa.

8 What! incredible, is it judged with you, that, God the dead doth raise?

Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

9 I, therefore, imagined to myself, that, against the name of Jesus the Nazarene, it was needful, many hostile things, to bring about, —

“However, I myself thought that I had to perpetrate many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Natsorean;

10 which also I did in Jerusalem, yea and, many of the saints, I myself, in prisons, shut up, —the authority, from the High-priests, having received: and, when they were to be put to death, I brought against them my vote;

I actually did this in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.

11 and, throughout all the synagogues, ofttimes punishing them, I would fain have compelled them to defame; and, being excessively maddened against them, I went on to pursue them as far as even the outlying cities.

Yes, I punished them often in every synagogue, trying to force them to blaspheme; I was so excessively enraged against them that I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12 Among which things, being on a journey unto Damascus, with the authority and commission of the High-priests,

“It was on one of those journeys, as I was going to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests,

13 at mid-day, on the road, I saw, O King, from heaven, above the splendour of the sun, shining around me, a light, and [around] them who, with me, were journeying;

at midday, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, blazing around me and those traveling with me.

14 and, when we were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice, saying unto me, in the Hebrew language—Saul! Saul! why, me, art thou persecuting? It is hard for thee, against goads, to be kicking!

Well we all fell to the ground and I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 And, I, said—Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said—I, am Jesus, whom, thou, art persecuting!

So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And He said: ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

16 But rise and stand upon thy feet; for, to this end, have I appeared unto thee, —To appoint thee an attendant and a witness, both of the things as to which thou hast seen me, and of those as to which I will appear unto thee:

Now get up and stand on your feet; because I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness both of the things you have seen and of the things I will reveal to you,

17 Rescuing thee from among the people, and from among the nations, unto whom, I, am sending thee—

delivering you from ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations, to which I am sending you:

18 To open their eyes; that they turn from darkness unto light, and the authority of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among them who have been made holy by the faith respecting me.

to open their eyes, so as to bring them back from darkness into light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified, by faith into me.’

19 Wherefore, O King Agrippa, —I became not disobedient unto the heavenly vision;

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

20 But—both to them in Damascus, first, and in Jerusalem, unto all the country of Judaea also, and unto the nations, I carried tidings—that they should repent, and turn unto God, and, works worthy of their repentance, should practise.

—first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to all the region of Judea and to the ethnic nations, I still preach: ‘repent and turn back to God, doing works worthy of repentance.’

21 Because of these things, Jews seized me in the temple, and were attempting to slay me with their own hands.

That is why the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

22 So then, having met with, the help that is from God, until this day, do I stand, witnessing to both small and great, nothing else saying, than those things which both the prophets, and Moses, did say should certainly come to pass: —

So then, having experienced the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying to both small and great, saying nothing beyond what both the prophets and Moses said would happen

23 If, to suffer, the Christ was destined, if, the first of a resurrection of the dead, he is about to carry tidings, of light, both unto the people, and unto the nations.

—that the Messiah would suffer; that as the first to rise from the dead He would proclaim light to both ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations.”

24 Now, as he was saying these things in his defence, Festus, with a loud voice, saith—Thou art raving, Paul! Thy great learning, is turning thee round unto, raving madness.

Well as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

25 But Paul—I am not raving (saith he), most noble Festus, —but, the declarations of truth and soberness, am I sounding forth:

So he said: “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus; rather I pronounce words of truth and reasonableness.

26 For well-knoweth, the king, concerning these things, unto whom, with boldness of utterance, am I speaking; for, that these things are not hidden from him, I am well persuaded, —for, not in a corner, hath this thing been done.

For the king knows about these things, before whom I speak freely; for I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, since it was not done in a corner.

27 Believest thou, King Agrippa, in the prophets? I know that thou believest!

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

28 And, Agrippa, [said] unto Paul—Almost, art thou persuading, me, to become a, Christian!

So Agrippa said to Paul, “You will soon persuade me to become a Christian!”

29 And, Paul, [answered] —I could pray unto God that, both almost and altogether, not only thou but all they who are hearing me this day, might become such, —as even, I, am, excepting these bonds.

So Paul said, “Whether sooner or later, I would to God that not only you but also all who are hearing me this day may become such as I am, except for these chains.”

30 And the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and they who had been sitting with them;

Upon his saying this, the king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them;

31 And, retiring, they began conversing one with another, saying, Nothing worthy of death or of bonds, doth this man practise.

and when they had withdrawn they started talking among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”

32 And, Agrippa, unto Festus, said—This man might have been released, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free, if he had not appealed to Caesar.”