Acts 26
1 And Agripos said to Paulos, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paulos stretched forth his hand and made defence, and said,
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 Of all that I am accused by the Jihudoyee, king Agripos, I consider myself happy, that before you I (have to) make defence.
“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 I know that you are conversant with all questions and laws of the Jihudoyee; therefore, I pray you with patient mind to hear me.
especially since yoʋ are acquainted with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg yoʋ to listen to me patiently.
4 For the Jihudoyee themselves-if they would testify-know my manners from my youth, which were mine from the beginning among my people at Urishlem;
“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 because they of a long time were assured of me, and they know that in the high doctrine of the Pharishee I lived.
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, concerning the hope of the promise that was made to our fathers by Aloha, stand I, and am judged.
And now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our fathers,
7 And for this hope (to which) our twelve tribes, with diligent prayers by day and night, are expecting to come, for this very hope am I accused by the Jihudoyee, king Agripos!
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 What judge you; ought we not to believe that Aloha will raise the dead?
Why is it deemed unbelievable by you that God raises the dead?
9 For I, at the first, proposed in my mind to do many things against the name of Jeshu Natsroya.
“Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 This I also did in Urishlem. And many holy ones I cast into the house of the bound, by the authority which I had received from the great priests; and when they were killed by them, I participated with those who condemned 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 in every synagogue I was furious against them, while I constrained them to blaspheme the name of Jeshu; and, being filled with great wrath against them, I went forth unto other cities also 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 And while going on this account to Darmsuk, with authority and permission from the great priests,
“While engaged in such things, I was on my way to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 at the dividing of the day, in the way, I saw from heaven, O king, shining upon me and upon all who were with me, a light which (was) more excellent than the sun.
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 fell all of us upon the earth; and I heard a voice that said to me in Hebrew, Shaol, Shaol, why persecutest thou me? It is hard to thee to kick against the pricks!
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, my Lord? And he said, I am Jeshu Natsroya, whom thou persecutest.
I said, ‘Who are yoʋ, Lord?’ He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom yoʋ are persecuting.
16 And he said to me, Stand upon thy feet, because for this I have appeared to thee, to appoint thee a minister and witness of that (for) which thou hast seen me, and (for) which thou shalt 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 deliver thee from the people of the Jihudoyee, and from the other nations to 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 Aloha, and receive the forgiveness of sins, and a lot with the saints through faith, which (is) 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, king Agripos, I withstood not with perversity the heavenly vision,
“Consequently, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but preached, at first to them who were in Darmsuk, and to them who were at Urishlem, and in all the districts of Jihud, and also to the Gentiles have I preached, that they should repent, and turn to Aloha, and do 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 And for these things the Jihudoyee seized me in the temple, and would have killed me;
That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and were trying to kill me.
22 but Aloha hath helped me until this day; and, behold, I stand and testify to the small and to the great, yet nothing beyond Musha and the prophets do I speak, but those things which they said should 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 that the Meshiha should suffer, and should be the chief of the resurrection from the house of the dead, and should preach light to the people and to the 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 AND as Paulos was thus making defence, Festos cried with a high voice, Thou art mad, Paulos; much learning hath made thee mad!
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 Paulos said to him, I am not mad, victorious Festos, but words of truth and righteousness I speak.
But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking words of truth and good sense.
26 And king Agripos also, especially, knoweth concerning these things; and therefore speak I with openness before him; because not one of these things I think have been hidden from him; for they were not done in secrecy.
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 Believest thou, king Agripos, the prophets? I know that thou believest.
Do yoʋ believe the Prophets, King Agrippa? I know that yoʋ believe.”
28 King Agripos said to him, (Within) a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.
Agrippa said to Paul, “Do yoʋ think yoʋ can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”
29 And Paulos said, I would from Aloha that in little and in much, not only thou, but also all who hear me to-day, were 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 arose, and the governor, and Bernike, and those who 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 were removed thence they spake one with another, and said, Nothing that is worthy of death or of bonds hath this man done.
After leaving the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or imprisonment.”
32 And Agripos said to Festos, This man could have been dismissed, if he had not called the appeal of Caesar.
And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
