< 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.
And Agrippa said unto Paul, 'It is permitted to thee to speak for thyself;' then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a 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,
'Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, king Agrippa, I have thought myself happy, being about to make a defence before thee to-day,
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 knowing thee to be acquainted with all things — both customs and questions — among Jews; wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently to hear me.
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 then, indeed, from youth — which from the beginning was among my nation, in Jerusalem — know do 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.
knowing me before from the first, (if they may be willing to testify, ) that after the most exact sect of our worship, 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 for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,
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 our twelve tribes, intently night and day serving, do hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, king Agrippa, by the Jews;
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 doth 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, therefore, thought with myself, that against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved [me] many things to do,
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 also I did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I in prison did shut up, from the chief priests having received the authority; they also being 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.
and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining [them] to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting [them] even unto strange cities.
12 "While thus engaged, I was travelling one day to Damascus armed with authority and a commission from the High Priests,
'In which things, also, going on 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, I saw in the way, O king, out of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me a light — and those going on 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 we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? hard for thee against pricks to kick!
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 dost 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 rise, and stand upon thy feet, for for this I appeared to thee, to appoint thee an officer and a witness both of the things thou didst see, and of the things [in which] I will appear to 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 the nations, to whom now I 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, to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of the Adversary unto God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified, by faith that [is] toward me.
19 "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;
'Whereupon, 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 to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, to all the region also of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to reform, and to turn back unto God, doing works worthy of reformation;
21 "It was on this account that the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me.
because of these things the Jews — having caught me in the temple — were endeavouring 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 obtained, therefore, help from God, till this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spake of as about to come,
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 Christ is to suffer, whether first by a rising from the dead, he is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.'
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, he thus making a defence, Festus with a loud voice said, 'Thou art mad, Paul; much learning doth turn thee mad;'
25 "I am not mad, most noble Festus," replied Paul; "I am speaking words of sober truth.
and he saith, 'I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness the sayings I speak forth;
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 doth know concerning these things, before whom also I speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing hath not been done in a corner;
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe them."
thou dost believe, king Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that thou dost believe!'
28 Agrippa answered, "In brief, you are doing your best to persuade me to become a Christian."
And Agrippa said unto Paul, 'In a little thou dost persuade me to become 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 have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only thee, but also all those hearing me to-day, to become such as I also am — except these bonds.'
30 So the King rose, and the Governor, and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them;
And, he having spoken these things, the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and those sitting 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 having withdrawn, they were speaking unto one another, saying — 'This man doth 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 released if he had not appealed to Caesar.'

< Acts 26 >