Acts 26

1 And Agripos said to Paulos, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paulos stretched forth his hand and made defence, and said,

2 Of all that I am accused by the Jihudoyee, king Agripos, I consider myself happy, that before you I (have to) make defence.

3 Especially because I know that you are conversant with all questions and laws of the Jihudoyee; therefore, I pray you with patient mind to hear me.

4 For the Jihudoyee themselves-if they would testify-know my manners from my youth, which were mine from the beginning among my people at Urishlem;

5 because they of a long time were assured of me, and they know that in the high doctrine of the Pharishee I lived.

6 And now, concerning the hope of the promise that was made to our fathers by Aloha, stand I, and am judged.

7 And for this hope (to which) our twelve tribes, with diligent prayers by day and night, are expecting to come, for this very hope am I accused by the Jihudoyee, king Agripos!

8 What judge you; ought we not to believe that Aloha will raise the dead?

9 For I, at the first, proposed in my mind to do many things against the name of Jeshu Natsroya.

10 This I also did in Urishlem. And many holy ones I cast into the house of the bound, by the authority which I had received from the great priests; and when they were killed by them, I participated with those who condemned them.

11 And in every synagogue I was furious against them, while I constrained them to blaspheme the name of Jeshu; and, being filled with great wrath against them, I went forth unto other cities also to persecute them.

12 And while going on this account to Darmsuk, with authority and permission from the great priests,

13 at the dividing of the day, in the way, I saw from heaven, O king, shining upon me and upon all who were with me, a light which (was) more excellent than the sun.

14 And we fell all of us upon the earth; and I heard a voice that said to me in Hebrew, Shaol, Shaol, why persecutest thou me? It is hard to thee to kick against the pricks!

15 And I said, Who art thou, my Lord? And he said, I am Jeshu Natsroya, whom thou persecutest.

16 And he said to me, Stand upon thy feet, because for this I have appeared to thee, to appoint thee a minister and witness of that (for) which thou hast seen me, and (for) which thou shalt see me.

17 And I will deliver thee from the people of the Jihudoyee, and from the other nations to whom I send thee,

18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto Aloha, and receive the forgiveness of sins, and a lot with the saints through faith, which (is) in me.

19 Wherefore, king Agripos, I withstood not with perversity the heavenly vision,

20 but preached, at first to them who were in Darmsuk, and to them who were at Urishlem, and in all the districts of Jihud, and also to the Gentiles have I preached, that they should repent, and turn to Aloha, and do works worthy of repentance.

21 And for these things the Jihudoyee seized me in the temple, and would have killed me;

22 but Aloha hath helped me until this day; and, behold, I stand and testify to the small and to the great, yet nothing beyond Musha and the prophets do I speak, but those things which they said should come to pass;

23 that the Meshiha should suffer, and should be the chief of the resurrection from the house of the dead, and should preach light to the people and to the nations.

24 AND as Paulos was thus making defence, Festos cried with a high voice, Thou art mad, Paulos; much learning hath made thee mad!

25 Paulos said to him, I am not mad, victorious Festos, but words of truth and righteousness I speak.

26 And king Agripos also, especially, knoweth concerning these things; and therefore speak I with openness before him; because not one of these things I think have been hidden from him; for they were not done in secrecy.

27 Believest thou, king Agripos, the prophets? I know that thou believest.

28 King Agripos said to him, (Within) a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

29 And Paulos said, I would from Aloha that in little and in much, not only thou, but also all who hear me to-day, were as I am, except these bonds.

30 And the king arose, and the governor, and Bernike, and those who sat with them:

31 and when they were removed thence they spake one with another, and said, Nothing that is worthy of death or of bonds hath this man done.

32 And Agripos said to Festos, This man could have been dismissed, if he had not called the appeal of Caesar.