Acts 26

1 Agrippa sayde vnto Paul: thou arte permitted to speake for thy selfe. Then Paul stretched forth the honde and answered for him selfe.

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 thynke my selfe happy kynge Agrippa because I shall answere this daye before the of all the thinges wherof I am accused of ye Iewes

“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 namely because thou arte experte in all customes and questions which are amonge the Iewes. Wherfore I beseche the to heare me paciently.

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 lyvynge of a chylde which was at the fyrst amoge myne awne nacion at Ierusalem knowe all the Iewes

“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 which knew me from ye beginnynge yf they wolde testifie it. For after the most straytest secte of oure laye lyved I a pharisaye.

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 stond and am iudged for the hope of the promes made of God vnto oure fathers:

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

7 vnto which promes oure. xii. tribes instantly servynge God daye and nyght hope to come. For which hopes sake kynge Agrippa am I accused of the Iewes.

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 shuld it be thought a thinge vncredible vnto you that god shuld rayse agayne the deed?

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

9 I also verely thought in my selfe that I ought to do many cotrary thinges clene agaynst the name of Iesus of Nazareth:

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

10 which thinge I also dyd in Ierusalem. Where many of the sainctes I shut vp in preson and had receaved auctorite of ye hye prestes. And whe they were put to deeth I gave the sentence.

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 I punysshed them ofte in every synagoge and compelled them to blaspheme: and was yet more mad apon them and persecuted the even vnto straunge 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 About the which thinges as I went to Damasco with auctorite and licence of the hye Prestes

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

13 even at myddaye (o kynge) I sawe in ye waye a lyght from heven above the brightnes of the sunne shyne rounde about me and them which iorneyed 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 When we were all fallen to the erth I hearde a voyce speakynge vnto me and sayinge in ye Hebrue tonge: Saul Saul why persecutest thou me? It is harde for the to kicke agaynste the pricke.

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 sayde: Who arte thou lorde? And he sayde I am Iesus whom thou persecutest.

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

16 But ryse and stond vp on thy fete. For I have apered vnto the for this purpose to make the a minister and a witnes both of tho thinges which thou hast sene and of tho thinges in the which I will appere vnto the

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 delyverynge the from the people and from ye gentyls vnto which nowe I sende the

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 myght turne from darcknes vnto lyght and from the power of Satan vnto God that they maye receave forgevenes of synnes and inheritauce amonge the which are sanctified by fayth 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 Wherfore kynge Agrippa I was not disobedient vnto the hevenly vision:

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

20 but shewed fyrst vnto them of Damasco and at Ierusalem and thorow out all the costes of Iewry and to the gentyls that they shuld repent and turne to God and do the ryght workes of repentaunce.

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 Iewes caught me in the temple and went about to kyll me.

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

22 Neverthelesse I obtayned helpe of God and cotynew vnto this daye witnessyng bothe to small and to greate saying none other thinges then those which the prophetes and Moses dyd saye shuld 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 that Christ shulde suffre and that he shuld be the fyrst that shulde ryse from deeth and shuld shewe lyght vnto the people and the gentyls.

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 As he thus answered for him selfe: Festus sayde with a lowde voyce: Paul thou arte besides thy selfe. Moche learnynge hath made the 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 And Paul sayde: I am not mad most dere Festus: but speake the wordes of trueth and sobernes.

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 kynge knoweth of these thinges before whom I speke frely: nether thynke I that eny of these thinges are hydden fro him. For this thinge 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 Kynge Agrippa belevest thou ye prophetes? I wote well thou belevest.

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

28 Agrippa sayde vnto Paul: Sumwhat thou bringest me in mynde for to be come a Christen.

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

29 And Paul sayd: I wolde to God that not only thou: but also all that heare me to daye were not sumwhat only but altogeder soche as I am except these bondes.

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 when he had thus spoken the kynge rose vp and the debite and Bernice and they that sate 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 gone aparte they talked betwene them selves sayinge: This man doeth nothinge worthy of deeth nor of bondes.

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

32 Then sayde Agrippa vnto Festus: This man myght have bene lowsed yf he had not appealed vnto Cesar.

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