Acts 26

1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

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 “I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in that I am to make my defense before you this day concerning the things of which I am accused by the Jews,

“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 especially because you are expert in all the Jewish customs and issues; therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

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

4 Really, the Jews all know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation in 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 since they have known me for a long time, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.

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 stand here being judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

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

7 to which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. It is because of this hope that I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa.

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 should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

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

9 “However, I myself thought that I had to perpetrate many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Natsorean;

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

10 I actually did this in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I cast my vote 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 Yes, I punished them often in every synagogue, trying to force them to blaspheme; I was so excessively enraged against them that I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

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 “It was on one of those journeys, as I was going to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests,

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

13 at midday, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, blazing around me and those traveling 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 Well we all fell to the ground and I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

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 So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And He said: ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

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

16 Now get up and stand on your feet; because I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness both of the things you have seen and of the things I will reveal to you,

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 delivering you from ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations, to which I am sending you:

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

18 to open their eyes, so as to bring them back from darkness into light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified, by faith into 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 Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision

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

20 —first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to all the region of Judea and to the ethnic nations, I still preach: ‘repent and turn back to God, doing works worthy of repentance.’

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 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

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

22 So then, having experienced the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying to both small and great, saying nothing beyond what both the prophets and Moses said would happen

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 Messiah would suffer; that as the first to rise from the dead He would proclaim light to both ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations.”

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 Well as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

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 So he said: “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus; rather I pronounce words of truth and reasonableness.

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 knows about these things, before whom I speak freely; for I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, since it was not done in a corner.

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, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”

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

28 So Agrippa said to Paul, “You will soon persuade me to become a Christian!”

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

29 So Paul said, “Whether sooner or later, I would to God that not only you but also all who are hearing me this day may become such as I am, except 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 Upon his saying this, the king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them;

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 withdrawn they started talking among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”

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 could have been set free, if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

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