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.
Agrippa said to Paul, "You may speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand, and 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 think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you this day concerning all the things that 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 because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
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.
"Indeed, all Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;
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.
having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after 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--
Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise 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.
which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O King.
8 Why is it deemed with all of you a thing past belief if God raises the dead to life?
Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?
9 "I myself, however, thought it a duty to do many things in hostility to the name of Jesus, the Nazarene.
"In fact, I thought to myself that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazorean.
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.
This I also did in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death 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.
Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged 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,
"Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the 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 noon, O King, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around 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.'
When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting 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.
"I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' "He said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
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 on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen me, and of the things which I will reveal to 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 non-Jewish people, to whom I 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, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
19 "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;
"Therefore, 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 of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the non-Jews, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21 "It was on this account that the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me.
For this reason Jews seized me when I was in the temple, and tried to kill me.
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 the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said would happen,
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."
how the Messiah would suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to non-Jewish people."
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."
As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are crazy. Your great learning is driving you insane."
25 "I am not mad, most noble Festus," replied Paul; "I am speaking words of sober truth.
But he said, "I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.
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 freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been 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."
Agrippa said to Paul, "With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Follower of the Messiah?"
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."
Paul said, "I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these bonds."
30 So the King rose, and the Governor, and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them;
The king rose up with 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."
When they had withdrawn, they spoke one to another, saying, "This man does 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."
Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."
