Acts 26
1 And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted to thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul reaching forth his hand, proceeded with his defence:
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 O king Agrippa, I consider myself happy, being about this day to make my defence before thee concerning all those 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 as thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions among the Jews: therefore I pray 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 Moreover indeed all the Jews know my life from my youth; being from the beginning in my nation and 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 knowing me originally, if they may be willing to testify, that according to the most rigid sect of our religion I lived 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 for the hope of the promise which is from God to our fathers, I stand being judged:
And now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our fathers,
7 unto which our twelve tribes constantly worshiping night and day, hope to attain: concerning which hope I am accused 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 is it judged by you incredible, if God shall raise the dead?
Why is it deemed unbelievable by you that God raises the dead?
9 Moreover indeed, I thought to myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene:
“Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 which I did also in Jerusalem, and shut up many of the saints in prison; and having received authority from the chief priests, and they being slain, I gave 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 and throughout all the synagogues, frequently punishing them, I compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceeding mad against them, I was persecuting them even also unto 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 Meanwhile journeying to Damascus with power and authority of the chief priests, I saw on the way, O king,
“While engaged in such things, I was on my way to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 about midday, a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining 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 and we all having fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against 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 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou art persecuting.
I said, ‘Who are yoʋ, Lord?’ He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom yoʋ are persecuting.
16 But rise up, and stand upon thy feet: for unto this have I appeared unto thee, to make thee a minister and a martyr both of those things which thou hast seen, and of which I will appear unto thee;
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 thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
I will rescue yoʋ from yoʋr own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending yoʋ
18 to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God, in order that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among those who are sanctified 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 Therefore, O king, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision:
“Consequently, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but first to those in Damascus, and also in Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and to the Gentiles, I was preaching that they should repent and turn to God, doing things 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 On account of these things the Jews, taking me while in the temple, endeavored to kill me.
That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and were trying to kill me.
22 Then having received help from God, I have stood unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said were about to come to pass:
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 that Christ must suffer, how being the first from the resurrection of the dead, he is to proclaim light both to the people, and 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 he making his defence to these things, Festus says with a loud voice, O Paul, thou art beside thyself; many writings turned thee into insanity.
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 But Paul says, I am not a maniac, most noble Festus; but I speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
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, to whom I also speak boldly, knows concerning these things: for I am persuaded that nothing of these things is hidden; for this has not been 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 O king Agrippa, dost thou believe the prophets? I know that thou believest them.
Do yoʋ believe the Prophets, King Agrippa? I know that yoʋ believe.”
28 And Agrippa said to Paul, With little persuasion thou dost persuade thyself to make me a Christian.
Agrippa said to Paul, “Do yoʋ think yoʋ can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”
29 And Paul said, I would to God, that both in little and in much, not only you, but also all of those hearing me this day, were such as I am, except these bonds.
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 governor, and Bernice, and those sitting with them, arose up:
After Paul said these things, the king stood up, along with the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with them.
31 and having gone away, they were talking to one another, saying, that This man is doing nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
After leaving the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or imprisonment.”
32 But Agrippa said to Festus, This man was able to have been released, 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.”
