Acts 26
1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.
THEN Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching out his hand, began his defence:
2 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews,
I count myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am about to address my defence to thee this day concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews:
3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
especially as thou art skilled both in all the customs, and questions which respect the Jews: wherefore I beg the favour of thee to hear me patiently.
4 “Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;
The manner of my life even from my youth, which from its beginning was spent amidst my own nation at Jerusalem, know indeed all the Jews;
5 having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
who previously knew me a long while ago, (if they chose to bear testimony, ) that according to the most precise sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6 Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
And this moment for the hope of the promise made of God to our fathers am I standing here to be judged:
7 which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa!
which promise our twelve tribes, with fervour night and day worshipping God, hope to attain. For which hope, king Agrippa, I am criminated by the Jews.
8 Why is it judged incredible with you if God does raise the dead?
What! is it judged a thing incredible by you, that God should raise the dead?
9 “I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
I indeed then thought in myself, that I ought to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Nazarean.
10 I also did this in Jerusalem. 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.
Which also I did at Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were killed, I gave my vote against them.
11 Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
And in every synagogue oftentimes punishing them, I compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly maddened with rage against them, I persecuted them even to the cities that are without.
12 “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,
In which pursuits, even as I was going to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests,
13 at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.
at midday, O king, I saw on the road a light from heaven, beyond the splendour of the sun, shining around myself and those who were travelling with me.
14 When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
And as we were all fallen prostrate on the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saving in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is difficult for thee to kick against the goads.
15 “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Then I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he replied, I am Jesus whom thou art persecuting.
16 But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will reveal to you;
Notwithstanding, arise, and stand on thy feet: for to this end have I appeared to thee, to ordain thee both a minister and a witness of the things which thou hast seen, and of those which I will shew thee;
17 delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,
delivering thee both from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom now I send thee,
18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
to open their eyes, to convert them from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance with those who are sanctified by faith which is in me.
19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision:
20 but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
but preached first to those at Damascus, and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, practicing works worthy of repentance.
21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
Because of these things, the Jews seizing me in the temple, attempted to kill me on the spot.
22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen,
Having however obtained help from God, unto this day, I stand witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing but what both the prophets and Moses said should come to pass:
23 how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”
that the Messiah should suffer, and that he being the first who should rise from the dead, should display light to the people, and to the Gentiles.
24 As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
As thus he was proceeding in his defence, Festus with a loud voice said, Paul, thou art raving; much reading hath driven thee to madness.
25 But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.
But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but utter words of truth and sobriety.
26 For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.
For the king is well acquainted with these things, before whom also I speak with the greatest freedom. For I am persuaded that none of these events have escaped his notice; for this thing was not done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
King Agrippa! believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”
Then Agrippa said to Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
29 Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”
And Paul replied, would to God, that not only thou, but also that all who are hearing me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these chains.
30 The king rose up with the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
So when he had thus spoken, the king arose, and the governor, and Bernice, and they who sat with him,
31 When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”
and retiring, conversed together, saying, This man hath done nothing worthy of death, or of chains.
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been discharged, if he had not appealed to Caesar.
