Acts 26

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

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

2 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Judeans,

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 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

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 “Indeed, all Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;

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 having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived 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 Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

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

7 which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Judeans, King Agrippa!

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 judged incredible with you if God does raise the dead?

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

9 “I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Yeshua of Nazareth.

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

10 I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the holy ones in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were 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 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.

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 “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,

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

13 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.

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 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.’

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 “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Yeshua, whom you are persecuting.

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

16 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 and of the things which I will reveal 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 delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,

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

18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by 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 declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of 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 For this reason 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 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,

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 how the Messiah must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these 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 he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

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 But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.

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

26 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.

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.”

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

28 Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Messianic?”

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

29 Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”

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 The king rose up with the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them.

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

31 When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”

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

32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free 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.