Acts 26
1 And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made 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 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defence before thee this day touching all the things whereof 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 thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee 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 My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own nation, and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
“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 having knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify, how that after the straitest 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 I stand [here] to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;
And now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our fathers,
7 unto which [promise] our twelve tribes, earnestly serving [God] night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this 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 incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?
Why is it deemed unbelievable by you that God raises the dead?
9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to 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 also did in Jerusalem: and I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, 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 punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even 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 Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission 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 at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed 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 were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the goad.
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 persecutest.
I said, ‘Who are yoʋ, Lord?’ He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom yoʋ are persecuting.
16 But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein 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 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, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that 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 Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
“Consequently, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but declared both to them of Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn 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 For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.
That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and were trying to kill me.
22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come;
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 the Christ must suffer, [and] how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both 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 as he thus made his defence, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning doth turn thee to madness.
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 saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth 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 knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath 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 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
Do yoʋ believe the Prophets, King Agrippa? I know that yoʋ believe.”
28 And Agrippa [said] unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain 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 whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become 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 rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat 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 spake one to another, saying, This man doeth 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 And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.
And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
