Acts 26

1 And Agrippa said to Paul, You may put your cause before us. Then Paul, stretching out his hand, made his answer, saying:

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Yoʋ have permission to speak for yoʋrself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began to make his defense:

2 In my opinion I am happy, King Agrippa, to be able to give my answer before you today to all these things which the Jews say against me:

“I consider myself fortunate that it is before yoʋ, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense today concerning all the things of which I am being accused by the Jews,

3 The more so, because you are expert in all questions to do with the Jews and their ways: so I make my request to you to give me a hearing to the end.

especially since yoʋ are acquainted with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg yoʋ to listen to me patiently.

4 All the Jews have knowledge of my way of life from my early years, as it was from the start among my nation, and at Jerusalem;

“All the Jews know about my manner of life from my youth up, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem.

5 And they are able to say, if they would give witness, that I was living as a Pharisee, in that division of our religion which is most regular in the keeping of the law.

They have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.

6 And now I am here to be judged because of the hope given by God's word to our fathers;

And now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our fathers,

7 For the effecting of which our twelve tribes have been working and waiting night and day with all their hearts. And in connection with this hope I am attacked by the Jews, O king!

a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve him night and day. Regarding this hope, King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews.

8 Why, in your opinion, is it outside belief for God to make the dead come to life again?

Why is it deemed unbelievable by you that God raises the dead?

9 For I, truly, was of the opinion that it was right for me to do a number of things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

“Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 And this I did in Jerusalem: and numbers of the saints I put in prison, having had authority given to me from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my decision against them.

And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. I locked up many of the saints in prison by the authority I received from the chief priests, and when they were being put to death, I cast my vote against them.

11 And I gave them punishment frequently, in all the Synagogues, forcing them to say things against God; and burning with passion against them, I went after them even into far-away towns.

I also punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. And being furiously enraged against them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

12 Then, when I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and orders of the chief priests,

“While engaged in such things, I was on my way to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

13 In the middle of the day, on the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who were journeying with me.

when at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were traveling with me.

14 And when we had all gone down on the earth, a voice came to me, saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you attacking me so cruelly? It is hard for you to go against the impulse which is driving you.

When we had all fallen down to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are yoʋ persecuting me? It is hard for yoʋ to kick against the goads.’

15 And I said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are attacking.

I said, ‘Who are yoʋ, Lord?’ He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom yoʋ are persecuting.

16 But get up on your feet: for I have come to you for this purpose, to make you a servant and a witness of the things in which you have seen me, and of those in which you will see me;

But rise and stand on yoʋr feet, for I have appeared to yoʋ for this purpose, to appoint yoʋ as a servant and witness to the things yoʋ have seen and to the things in which I will appear to yoʋ.

17 And I will keep you safe from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,

I will rescue yoʋ from yoʋr own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending yoʋ

18 To make their eyes open, turning them from the dark to the light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may have forgiveness of sins and a heritage among those who are made holy by faith in me.

to open their eyes so that they may turn away from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an allotment among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.’

19 So, then, King Agrippa, I did not go against the vision from heaven;

“Consequently, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20 But I went about, first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, and through all the country of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, preaching a change of heart, so that they, being turned to God, might give, in their works, the fruits of a changed heart.

but first to those in Damascus and then to those in Jerusalem, to all the region of Judea and to the Gentiles, I proclaimed that they should repent and turn to God, doing works consistent with repentance.

21 For this reason, the Jews took me in the Temple, and made an attempt to put me to death.

That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and were trying to kill me.

22 And so, by God's help, I am here today, witnessing to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come about;

But having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what the Prophets and Moses said would take place:

23 That the Christ would go through pain, and being the first to come back from the dead, would give light to the people and to the Gentiles.

that the Christ would suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

24 And when he made his answer in these words, Festus said in a loud voice, Paul, you are off your head; your great learning has made you unbalanced.

As Paul was saying these things in his own defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Yoʋ are out of yoʋr mind, Paul. Too much learning is driving yoʋ insane!”

25 Then Paul said, I am not off my head, most noble Festus, but my words are true and wise.

But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking words of truth and good sense.

26 For the king has knowledge of these things, to whom I am talking freely; being certain that all this is common knowledge to him; for it has not been done in secret.

For the king knows about these things, to whom I am speaking boldly. I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice at all, for this has not been done in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, have you faith in the prophets? I am certain that you have.

Do yoʋ believe the Prophets, King Agrippa? I know that yoʋ believe.”

28 And Agrippa said to Paul, A little more and you will be making me a Christian.

Agrippa said to Paul, “Do yoʋ think yoʋ can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

29 And Paul said, It is my prayer to God that, in little or great measure, not only you, but all those hearing me today might be even as I am, but for these chains.

Paul said, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only yoʋ but also all who are listening to me today would become as I am, except for these chains.”

30 And the king and the ruler and Bernice and those who were seated with them got up;

After Paul said these things, the king stood up, along with the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with them.

31 And when they had gone away they said to one another, This man has done nothing which might give cause for death or prison.

After leaving the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or imprisonment.”

32 And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been made free, if he had not put his cause before Caesar.

And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”