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.

And Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted to you to speak for yourself”; then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a 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;

“Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, King Agrippa, I have thought myself blessed, being about to make a defense before you today,

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

especially knowing you to be acquainted with all things—both customs and questions—among Jews; for this reason, I implore 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,

The manner of my life then, indeed, from youth—which from the beginning was among my nation, in Jerusalem—all the Jews know,

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.

knowing me before from the first (if they may be willing to testify), that after the most exact sect of our worship, I lived 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 for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,

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, intently serving night and day, hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, King Agrippa, by the Jews;

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

why is it judged incredible with you if 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, —

I indeed, therefore, thought with myself that it was necessary [for me] to do many things against the Name of Jesus of Nazareth,

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;

which I also did in Jerusalem, and I shut up many of the holy ones in prison, having received the authority from the chief priests; they also being put to death, I gave 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.

and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining [them] to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting [them] even to strange cities.

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

In which things, also, going on to Damascus—with authority and 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, I saw in the way, O king, out of Heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining around me a light—and those going on 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!

and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? [It is] hard for you to kick against goads!

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

And I said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus whom you persecute;

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:

but rise, and stand on your feet, for this I appeared to you, to appoint you an officer and a witness both of the things you saw, and of the things [in which] I will appear 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 nations, to whom I now send 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, to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of Satan to God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified by faith that [is] toward Me.

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

After which, 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.

but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, also to all the region of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to convert, and to turn back to God, doing works worthy of conversion;

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

because of these things the Jews—having caught me in the temple—were endeavoring 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: —

Having obtained, therefore, help from God, until this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spoke of as about to come,

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 Christ is to suffer, whether first by a resurrection from the dead, He is about to proclaim light to the people and to the 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.

And he thus making a defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “You are mad, Paul; much learning turns you mad!”

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

And he says, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness I speak forth the sayings;

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 concerning these things, before whom I also speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing has not been done in a corner;

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

do you believe, King Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that you believe!”

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

And Agrippa said to Paul, “In [so] little you 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.

And Paul said, “I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only you, but also all those hearing me today, to become such as I also am—except these bonds.”

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

And he having spoken these things, the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, 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 having withdrawn, they were speaking to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds”;

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 might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”