Acts 26

1 Yet truly, Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted for you to speak for yourself.” Then Paul, extending his hand, began to offer his defense.

And Agrippa said to Paul: Thou art permitted to speak in thy own behalf. Then Paul extended his hand, and made defence, saying:

2 “I consider myself blessed, O king Agrippa, that I am to give my defense today before you, about everything of which I am accused by the Jews,

In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, king Agrippa, I consider myself highly favored, that I may this day make defence before thee:

3 especially since you know everything that pertains to the Jews, both customs and questions. Because of this, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

especially, as I know thee to be expert in all the controversies and laws of the Jews. I therefore request thee to hear me with indulgence.

4 And certainly, all the Jews know about my life from my youth, which had its beginning among my own people in Jerusalem.

The Jews themselves, if they would testify, know well my course of life from my childhood, which from the beginning was among my nation and in Jerusalem.

5 They knew me well from the beginning, (if they would be willing to offer testimony) for I lived according to the most determined sect of our religion: as a Pharisee.

For they have long been persuaded of me, and have known, that I lived in the princely doctrine of the Pharisees.

6 And now, it is in the hope of the Promise which was made by God to our fathers that I stand subject to judgment.

And now, for the hope of the promise which was made by God to our fathers, I stand and am judged.

7 It is the Promise that our twelve tribes, worshiping night and day, hope to see. About this hope, O king, I am accused by the Jews.

To this hope, our twelve tribes hope to come, with earnest prayers by day and by night: and for this same hope, king Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

8 Why should it be judged so unbelievable with you all that God might raise the dead?

How judge ye? Are we not to believe, that God will raise the dead?

9 And certainly, I myself formerly considered that I ought to act in many ways which are contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.

For I myself, at first, resolved in my own mind, that I would perpetrate many adverse things against the name of Jesus the Nazarean.

10 This is also how I acted at Jerusalem. And so, I enclosed many holy persons in prison, having received authority from the leaders of the priests. And when they were to be killed, I brought the sentence.

Which I also did at Jerusalem; and by the authority I received from the chief priests, I cast many of the saints into prison and when they were put to death by them, I took part with those that condemned them.

11 And in every synagogue, frequently while punishing them, I compelled them to blaspheme. And being all the more maddened against them, I persecuted them, even to foreign cities.

And in every synagogue I tortured them, while I pressed them to become revilers of the name of Jesus. And in the great wrath, with which I was filled against them, I also went to other cities to persecute them.

12 Thereafter, as I was going to Damascus, with authority and permission from the high priest,

And, as I was going for this purpose to Damascus, with the authority and license of the chief priests,

13 at midday, O king, I and those who were also with me, saw along the way a light from heaven shining around me with a splendor greater than that of the sun.

at mid-day, on the road, I saw, O king, a light exceeding that of the sun, beaming from heaven upon me, and upon all those with me.

14 And when we had all fallen down to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew language: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.’

And we all fell to the ground; and I heard a voice, which said to me, in Hebrew: Saul, Saul! why persecutest thou me? It will be a hard thing for thee to kick against the goads.

15 Then I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

And I said: My Lord, who art thou? And our Lord said to me: I am Jesus the Nazarean, whom thou persecutest.

16 But rise up and stand on your feet. For I appeared to you for this reason: so that I may establish you as a minister and a witness concerning the things that you have seen, and concerning the things that I will show to you:

And he said to me: Stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared to thee, for this purpose, to constitute thee a minister and a witness of this thy seeing me, and of thy seeing me hereafter.

17 rescuing you from the people and the nations to which I am now sending you,

And I will deliver thee from the people of the Jews, and from other nations; to whom I send thee,

18 in order to open their eyes, so that they may be converted from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive the remission of sins and a place among the saints, through the faith that is in me.’

to open their eyes; that they may turn from darkness to the light, and from the dominion of Satan unto God; and may receive remission of sins, and a portion with the saints, by faith in me.

19 From then on, O king Agrippa, I was not unbelieving to the heavenly vision.

Wherefore, king Agrippa, I did not contumaciously withstand the heavenly vision:

20 But I preached, first to those who are at Damascus and at Jerusalem, and then to the entire region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, so that they would repent and convert to God, doing the works that are worthy of repentance.

but I preached from the first to them in Damascus, and to them in Jerusalem and in all the villages of Judaea; and I preached also to the Gentiles, that they should repent, and should turn to God, and should do the works suitable to repentance.

21 It was for this reason that the Jews, having apprehended me when I was in the temple, attempted to kill me.

And on account of these things, the Jews seized me in the temple, and sought to kill me.

22 But having been aided by the help of God, even to this day, I stand witnessing to the small and the great, saying nothing beyond what the Prophets and Moses have said would be in the future:

But unto this day God hath helped me; and lo, I stand and bear testimony, to the small and to the great; yet saying nothing aside from Moses and the prophets, but the very things which they declared were to take place:

23 that the Christ would suffer, and that he would be the first from the resurrection of the dead, and that he would bring light to the people and to the nations.”

namely, that Messiah would suffer, and would become the first fruits of the resurrection from the dead; and that he would proclaim light to the people and to the Gentiles.

24 While he was speaking these things and presenting his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: “Paul, you are insane! Too much studying has turned you to insanity.”

And when Paul had extended his defence thus far, Festus cried, with a loud voice: Paul, thou art deranged: much study hath deranged thee.

25 And Paul said: “I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but rather I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.

Paul replied to him: I am not deranged, excellent Festus; but speak words of truth and rectitude.

26 For the king knows about these things. To him also, I am speaking with constancy. For I think that none of these things are unknown to him. And neither were these things done in a corner.

And king Agrippa is also well acquainted with these things; and I therefore speak confidently before him, because I suppose not one of these things hath escaped his knowledge; for they were not done in secret.

27 Do you believe the Prophets, O king Agrippa? I know that you believe.”

King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “To some extent, you persuade me to become a Christian.”

King Agrippa said to him: Almost, thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

29 And Paul said, “I hope to God that, both to a small extent and to a great extent, not only you, but also all those who hear me this day will become just as I also am, except for these chains.”

And Paul said: I would to God, that not only thou, but likewise all that hear me this day, were almost, and altogether, as I am, aside from these bonds.

30 And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them.

And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.

31 And when they had withdrawn, they were speaking among themselves, saying, “This man has done nothing worthy of death, nor of imprisonment.”

And when they had gone out, they conversed with one another, and said: This man hath done nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

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

And Agrippa said to Festus: The man might be set at liberty, if he had not announced an appeal to Caesar.