Acts 26

1 Agrippa then said to Paul, “You are free to speak on your own behalf.” With a sweep of his arm, Paul 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 am delighted, King Agrippa, to make my defense before you today regarding everything I am accused of 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 particularly because you are an expert in all Jewish issues and customs. I beg your patient indulgence as you listen to what I have to say.

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 know my life story—from my earliest days beginning in my own country and then 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 They have known me for a long time and can verify, if they choose to, that I have followed the religious school that observes our faith in the strictest way—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 Now I am standing here to be judged regarding the promised hope God gave to our fathers

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

7 that our twelve tribes hoped to receive as they continually dedicated themselves in God's service. Yes, it's because of this hope that I'm accused by the Jews, Your Majesty!

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 think it's unbelievable that God raises the dead?

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

9 Previously I was sincerely convinced I should do as much as I could to oppose 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 This is what I did in Jerusalem. I threw many of the believers in prison, having been given authority to do this by the chief priests. When they were sentenced 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 I had them punished in all the synagogues, trying to make them recant. I was so furiously opposed to them that I went to cities outside our country to persecute them.

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 That's why one day I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and orders 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 about noon as I was on my way, Your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven that blazed brighter than the sun. It shone around me and those who were 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 All of us fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It's hard for you to fight against me!’

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 ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, the one you're persecuting,’ the Lord replied.

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

16 ‘But pick yourself up and get to your feet. The reason why I've appeared to you is to appoint you as my servant, to be a witness for me, telling others how you have seen me and everything 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 I will save you from your own people and from the foreigners. I am sending you to them

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

18 to open their eyes so they can turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, and so that they can receive forgiveness for their sins and a place with those who are set right as they trust 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 Clearly, King Agrippa, I could not disobey this vision from heaven.

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

20 First in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, and then all over Judea and also to the foreigners I shared the message of repentance: how they should turn to God, demonstrating their repentance through their actions.

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's 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 God has looked after me so I can stand here today as a witness to everyone, both to ordinary people and to those who are important. I am only repeating what Moses and the prophets 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 how the Messiah had to suffer, and that by being the first to rise from the dead he would announce the light of God's salvation to both Jews and foreigners.”

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 Festus interrupted Paul as he made his defense, shouting out, “Paul, you've gone mad! All your knowledge 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 “I'm not mad, Festus your Excellency,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and makes sense.

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

26 The king recognizes this, and I'm explaining it very clearly. I am sure that he is aware of what's been happening, because none of this took place as if it were hidden 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 what the prophets said? I'm sure you do!”

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

28 “Do you think you can convince me to become a Christian so quickly?” Agrippa asked Paul.

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

29 “Whether it takes a short time or a long time doesn't matter,” Paul answered. “But my prayer to God is that not just you, but everybody listening to me today would become like me—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 The king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice, and everyone who had been 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 They conferred together after they had left. “This man hasn't done anything that deserves death or imprisonment,” they concluded.

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

32 Agrippa told Festus, “He could have been freed if he hadn't appealed to Caesar.”

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