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

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,

"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 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 thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I intreat thee 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.

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 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.

knowing me before, (if they would testify it, ) 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 arraigned for the hope of the 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, worshipping continually night and day, hope to attain: concerning which hope, O 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?

What! is it judged incredible 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 once 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 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 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 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 "While thus engaged, I was travelling one day to Damascus armed with authority and a commission from the High Priests,

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

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.

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 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 tongue, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me? It is hard for thee 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 thou persecutest.

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

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

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

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

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

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 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."

and being the first of the resurrection from the dead should bring 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 saying these things in his defence, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself: much learning turns thy brain.

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 I speak the words of truth and of a sound mind.

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

O king Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?

28 Agrippa answered, "In brief, you are doing your best to persuade 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 "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 thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

30 So the King rose, and the Governor, and Bernice, and those who were 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, having withdrawn, they talked to one another and said, "This man is doing nothing for which he deserves death or imprisonment."

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 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.