Acts 26

1 So Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense.

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

2 “I regard myself as happy, King Agrippa, to make my case before you today against all the accusations of the Jews;

“I consider myself fortunate that it is before yoʋ, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense today concerning all the things of which I am being accused by the Jews,

3 especially, because you are an expert in all the Jewish customs and questions. So I ask you to hear me patiently.

especially since yoʋ are acquainted with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg yoʋ to listen to me patiently.

4 Truly, all the Jews know how I lived from my youth in my own nation and at Jerusalem.

“All the Jews know about my manner of life from my youth up, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem.

5 They knew me from the beginning and they should admit that I lived as a Pharisee, the strictest party of our religion.

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

6 Now I stand here to be judged because of my certain hope in the promise made by God to our fathers.

And now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our fathers,

7 For this is the promise that our twelve tribes sought to receive as they earnestly worshiped God night and day. It is for this certain hope, King Agrippa, that the Jews accuse me.

a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve him night and day. Regarding this hope, King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews.

8 Why should any of you think it is unbelievable that God raises the dead?

Why is it deemed unbelievable by you that God raises the dead?

9 Now indeed, I myself thought that I should do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

“Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 I did these in Jerusalem. I locked up many of the saints in prison by the authority I received from the chief priests, and when they were killed, I cast my vote against them.

And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. I locked up many of the saints in prison by the authority I received from the chief priests, and when they were being put to death, I cast my vote against them.

11 I punished them many times in all the synagogues and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was furiously enraged against them and I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

I also punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. And being furiously enraged against them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

12 While I was doing this, I went to Damascus with authority and orders from the chief priests;

“While engaged in such things, I was on my way to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

13 and on the way there, at midday, King, I saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun and it shone around both me and the men who were traveling with me.

when at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were traveling with me.

14 When we all fell to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me that said in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick a goad.'

When we had all fallen down to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are yoʋ persecuting me? It is hard for yoʋ to kick against the goads.’

15 Then I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' The Lord replied, 'I am Jesus whom you persecute.

I said, ‘Who are yoʋ, Lord?’ He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom yoʋ are persecuting.

16 Now get up and stand on your feet; because for this purpose I appeared to you, to appoint you to be a servant and a witness concerning the things that you know about me now and the things that I will show to you later;

But rise and stand on yoʋr feet, for I have appeared to yoʋ for this purpose, to appoint yoʋ as a servant and witness to the things yoʋ have seen and to the things in which I will appear to yoʋ.

17 and I will rescue you from the people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you,

I will rescue yoʋ from yoʋr own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending yoʋ

18 to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive from God the forgiveness of sins and the inheritance that I give to them who are sanctified by faith in me.'

to open their eyes so that they may turn away from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an allotment among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.’

19 Therefore, King Agrippa, I did not disobey the heavenly vision;

“Consequently, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20 but, to those in Damascus first, and then at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, I gave them the message that that they should repent and turn to God, doing deeds worthy of repentance.

but first to those in Damascus and then to those in Jerusalem, to all the region of Judea and to the Gentiles, I proclaimed that they should repent and turn to God, doing works consistent with repentance.

21 For this cause the Jews arrested me in the temple and tried to kill me.

That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and were trying to kill me.

22 God has helped me until now, so I stand and testify to the common people and to the great ones about nothing more than what the prophets and Moses said would happen—

But having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what the Prophets and Moses said would take place:

23 that Christ must suffer and that by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our own people and to the Gentiles.”

that the Christ would suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

24 As Paul completed his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are insane; your great learning makes you insane.”

As Paul was saying these things in his own defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Yoʋ are out of yoʋr mind, Paul. Too much learning is driving yoʋ insane!”

25 But Paul said, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but what I am declaring is true and rational.

But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking words of truth and good sense.

26 For the king knows about these things; and so, I speak freely to him, for I am persuaded that none of this is hidden from him; for this has not been done in a corner.

For the king knows about these things, to whom I am speaking boldly. I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice at all, for this has not been done in a corner.

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

Do yoʋ believe the Prophets, King Agrippa? I know that yoʋ believe.”

28 Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me and make me a Christian?”

Agrippa said to Paul, “Do yoʋ think yoʋ can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

29 Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether in a short or long time, not you only, but also all that hear me today, would be like me, but without these prison chains.”

Paul said, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only yoʋ but also all who are listening to me today would become as I am, except for these chains.”

30 Then the king stood up, and the governor, and Bernice also, and those who were sitting with them;

After Paul said these things, the king stood up, along with the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with them.

31 when they left the hall, they talked to one another and said, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”

After leaving the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or imprisonment.”

32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been freed if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

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