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

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;

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

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

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 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, (if they would testify it, ) that according to the strictest sect of our religion 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 I stand arraigned for the hope of the promise which was 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 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 What! incredible, is it judged with you, that, God the dead doth raise?

What! is it judged incredible by you, that God should raise 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 once thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene:

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

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

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;

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

And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest.

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

delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send thee,

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

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

For these things the Jews seized me in the temple, and attempted 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: —

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 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.

and being the first of the resurrection from the dead should bring light to the people and to the Gentiles."

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

But he replied, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but I speak the words of truth and of a sound mind.

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

O king Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?

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

I know that thou believest them. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou almost persuadest me to be 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 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 And the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and they who had been sitting with them;

And when he had said this, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those that sat 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 were retired, they spake to each other, saying, this man hath done 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 set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Cesar.