Acts 26

1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak about yourself." So Paul, with outstretched arm, proceeded to make his defence.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, It is granted to you to speak for yourself. Then Paul, stretching forth his hand, made his defense.

2 "As regards all the accusations brought against me by the Jews," he said, "I think myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in being about to defend myself to-day before you,

I esteem myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am this day to make my defense before you, concerning all those things of which I am accused by the Jews;

3 who are so familiar with all the customs and speculations that prevail among the Jews; and for this reason, I pray you, give me a patient hearing.

especially as you are acquainted with all the customs and questions among the Jews: wherefore, I entreat you, that you will hear me with patience.

4 "The kind of life I have lived from my youth upwards, as exemplified in my early days among my nation and in Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews.

The manner of my life, from my youth, which, from the beginning, was spent among my own nation, in Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews;

5 For they all know me of old--if they would but testify to the fact--how, being an adherent of the strictest sect of our religion, my life was that of a Pharisee.

who knew me from the first, (if they would testify, ) that, according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.

6 And now I stand here impeached because of my hope in the fulfilment of the promise made by God to our forefathers--

And now I stand in judgment for the hope of that promise, which was made by God to our fathers:

7 the promise which our twelve tribes, worshipping day and night with intense devotedness, hope to have made good to them. It is on the subject of this hope, Sir, that I am accused by the Jews.

to which promise, our twelve tribes, worshiping continually, night and day, hope to attain: concerning which hope, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

8 Why is it deemed with all of you a thing past belief if God raises the dead to life?

Why should it be judged an incredible thing, by you, that God should raise the dead?

9 "I myself, however, thought it a duty to do many things in hostility to the name of Jesus, the Nazarene.

I, indeed, thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus, the Nazarene.

10 And that was how I acted in Jerusalem. Armed with authority received from the High Priests I shut up many of God's people in various prisons, and when they were about to be put to death I gave my vote against them.

Which, accordingly, I did in Jerusalem; and I shut up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests. And when some of them were killed, I gave my vote against them:

11 In all the synagogues also I punished them many a time, and tried to make them blaspheme; and in my wild fury I chased them even to foreign towns.

and frequently punishing them in all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme: and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12 "While thus engaged, I was travelling one day to Damascus armed with authority and a commission from the High Priests,

With this view, I was going to Damascus, with authority and commission from the chief priests;

13 and on the journey, at noon, Sir, I saw a light from Heaven--brighter than the brightness of the sun--shining around me and around those who were travelling with me.

at mid-day, on the road, King Agrippa, I saw a light from heaven, exceeding the splendor of the sun, shining about me, and those who traveled with me.

14 We all fell to the ground; and I heard a voice which said to me in Hebrew, "'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? You are finding it painful to kick against the ox-goad.'

And when we were all fallen down to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying, in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.

15 "'Who art Thou, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied.

And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute.

16 'But rise, and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you My servant and My witness both as to the things you have already seen and as to those in which I will appear to you.

But arise, and stand upon your feet, for to this purpose I have appeared to you, to ordain you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen, and of those which I will hereafter show you:

17 I will save you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you to open their eyes,

delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles; to whom I now send you--

18 that they may turn from darkness to light and from the obedience to Satan to God, in order to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified through faith in Me.'

to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; that they may receive forgiveness of sons, and an inheritance amongst the sanctified, through faith in me.

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

From that time, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision:

20 but I proceeded to preach first to the people in Damascus, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and to the Gentiles, that they must repent and turn to God, and live lives consistent with such repentance.

but declared, first to them at Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and through all the country of Judea; and then to the Gentiles, that they should reform, and return to God, performing deeds worthy of reformation.

21 "It was on this account that the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me.

On account of these things, the Jews seizing me in the temple, attempted to have killed me with their own hands.

22 Having, however, obtained the help which is from God, I have stood firm until now, and have solemnly exhorted rich and poor alike, saying nothing except what the Prophets and Moses predicted as soon to happen,

Having, therefore, obtained help from God, I continue, till this day, testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses have declared would be;

23 since the Christ was to be a suffering Christ, and by coming back from the dead was then to be the first to proclaim a message of light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."

that the Messiah would be a sufferer--would be first of a resurrection from the dead--would give light to the people, and to the Gentiles.

24 As Paul thus made his defence, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, "You are raving mad, Paul; and great learning is driving you mad."

And as he was thus making his defense, Festus said, with a loud voice, Paul, you are distracted: much learning drives you to madness.

25 "I am not mad, most noble Festus," replied Paul; "I am speaking words of sober truth.

But he replied, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but utter the words of truth and soberness.

26 For the King, to whom I speak freely, knows about these matters. I am not to be persuaded that any detail of them has escaped his notice; for these things have not been done in a corner.

For the king knows of these things; to whom, also, I speak with freedom: for I am persuaded none of these things are hid from him, for this was not done in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe them."

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

28 Agrippa answered, "In brief, you are doing your best to persuade me to become a Christian."

Then Agrippa said to Paul, You almost persuade me to be a Christian.

29 "My prayer to God, whether briefly or at length," replied Paul, "would be that not only you but all who are my hearers to-day, might become such as I am--except these chains."

And Paul said, I would to God that, not only you, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these chains.

30 So the King rose, and the Governor, and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them;

And as he said this, the king arose, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.

31 and, having withdrawn, they talked to one another and said, "This man is doing nothing for which he deserves death or imprisonment."

And when they had retired, they spoke one with another, saying, This man has done nothing worthy of death, or of bonds.

32 And Agrippa said to Festus, "He might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar."

And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Cesar.