Acts 26

1 Then Agrippa sayd vnto Paul, Thou art permitted to speake for thy selfe. So Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himselfe.

Turning to Paul, Agrippa said, “You are at liberty to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense.

2 I thinke my selfe happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answere this day before thee of all the things whereof I am accused of the Iewes.

“I have been congratulating myself, King Agrippa,” he said, “that it is before you that I have to make my defense today, with regard to all the charges brought against me by my own people,

3 Chiefly, because thou hast knowledge of all customes, and questions which are among the Iewes: wherefore I beseech thee, to heare me patiently.

especially as you are so well-versed in all the customs and questions of the Jewish world. I beg you therefore to give me a patient hearing.

4 As touching my life from my childhood, and what it was from the beginning among mine owne nation at Hierusalem, know all the Iewes,

My life, then, from youth upwards, was passed, from the very first, among my own nation, and in Jerusalem, and is within the knowledge of all Jews;

5 Which knewe me heretofore, euen from my elders (if they would testifie) that after the most straite sect of our religion I liued a Pharise.

and they have always known – if they choose to give evidence – that, in accordance with the very strictest form of our religion, I lived a true Pharisee.

6 And now I stand and am accused for the hope of the promise made of God vnto our fathers.

Even now, it is because of my hope in the promise given by God to our ancestors that I stand here on my trial –

7 Whereunto our twelue tribes instantly seruing God day and night, hope to come: for the which hopes sake, O King Agrippa, I am accused of the Iewes.

A promise which our twelve tribes, by earnest service night and day, hope to see fulfilled. It is for this hope, your Majesty, that I am accused – and by Jews themselves!

8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible vnto you, that God should raise againe the dead?

Why do you all hold it incredible that God should raise the dead?

9 I also verely thought in my selfe, that I ought to doe many contrarie things against the Name of Iesus of Nazareth.

I myself, it is true, once thought it my duty to oppose in every way the name of Jesus of Nazareth;

10 Which thing I also did in Hierusalem: for many of the Saints I shut vp in prison, hauing receiued authoritie of the hie Priests, and when they were put to death, I gaue my sentence.

and I actually did so at Jerusalem. Acting on the authority of the chief priests, I myself threw many of the people of Christ into prison, and, when it was proposed to put them to death, I gave my vote for it.

11 And I punished them throughout all the Synagogues, and compelled them to blaspheme, and being more mad against them, I persecuted them, euen vnto strange cities.

Time after time, in every synagogue, I tried by punishments to force them to blaspheme. So frantic was I against them, that I pursued them even to towns beyond our borders.

12 At which time, euen as I went to Damascus with authoritie, and commission from the hie Priests,

It was while I was traveling to Damascus on an errand of this kind, entrusted with full powers by the chief priests,

13 At midday, O King, I sawe in the way a light from heauen, passing the brightnes of the sunne, shine round about mee, and them which went with me.

that at midday, your Majesty, I saw right in my path, coming from the heavens, a light brighter than the glare of the sun, which shone all around me and those traveling with me.

14 So when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voyce speaking vnto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kicke against pricks.

We all fell to the ground, and then I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew – ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? By kicking against the goad you are punishing yourself.’

15 Then I sayd, Who art thou, Lord? And he sayd, I am Iesus whom thou persecutest.

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

16 But rise and stand vp on thy feete: for I haue appeared vnto thee for this purpose, to appoint thee a minister and a witnesse, both of the things which thou hast seene, and of the things in the which I will appeare vnto thee,

but get up and stand upright; for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you a servant and a witness of those revelations of me which you have already had, and of those in which I will yet appear to you,

17 Deliuering thee from this people, and from the Gentiles, vnto whom now I send thee,

since I am choosing you out from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,

18 To open their eyes, that they may turne from darknes to light, and from the power of Satan vnto God, that they may receiue forgiuenes of sinnes, and inheritance among them, which are sanctified by fayth in me.

to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; so that they may receive pardon for their sins, and a place among those who have become God’s people, by faith in me.’

19 Wherefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient vnto the heauenly vision,

After that, King Agrippa, I did not fail to obey the heavenly vision;

20 But shewed first vnto them of Damascus, and at Hierusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Iudea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turne to God, and doe workes worthy amendment of life.

on the contrary, first to those at Damascus and Jerusalem, and then through the whole of Judea, and to the Gentiles as well, I began to preach repentance and conversion to God, and a life befitting that repentance.

21 For this cause the Iewes caught me in the Temple, and went about to kill me.

This is why some men seized me in the Temple, and made attempts on my life.

22 Neuertheles, I obteined helpe of God, and continue vnto this day, witnessing both to small and to great, saying none other things, then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come,

However I have received help from God to this very day, and so stand here, and bear my testimony to high and low alike – without adding a word to what the prophets, as well as Moses, declared should happen –

23 To wit, that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light vnto this people, and to the Gentiles.

That the Christ must suffer, and that, by rising from the dead, he was destined to be the first to bring news of light, not only to our nation, but also to the Gentiles.”

24 And as he thus answered for himselfe, Festus said with a loude voyce, Paul, thou art besides thy selfe: much learning doeth make thee mad.

While Paul was making this defense, Festus called out loudly, “You are mad, Paul; your great learning is driving you mad.”

25 But he said, I am not mad, O noble Festus, but I speake the wordes of trueth and sobernes.

“I am not mad, your Excellency,” he replied. “On the contrary, the statements that I am making are true and sober.

26 For the King knoweth of these things, before whom also I speake boldly: for I am perswaded that none of these things are hidden from him: for this thing was not done in a corner.

Indeed, the king knows about these matters, so I speak before him without constraint. I am sure that there is nothing whatever of what I have been telling him that has escaped his attention; for all this has not been done in a corner.

27 O King Agrippa, beleeuest thou the Prophets? I know that thou beleeuest.

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

28 Then Agrippa said vnto Paul, Almost thou perswadest me to become a Christian.

But Agrippa said to Paul, “You are soon trying to make a Christian of me!”

29 Then Paul sayd, I would to God that not onely thou, but also all that heare me to day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

“Whether it is soon or late,” answered Paul, “I pray to God that not only you, but all who are listening to me, might today become just what I am myself – except for these chains!”

30 And when he had thus spoken, the King rose vp, and the gouernour, and Bernice, and they that sate with them.

Then the king rose, with the Governor and Bernice and those who had been sitting with them,

31 And when they were gone apart, they talked betweene themselues, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death, nor of bonds.

and, after retiring, discussed the case among themselves. “There is nothing,” they said, “deserving death or imprisonment in this man’s conduct”;

32 Then sayd Agrippa vnto Festus, This man might haue bene loosed, if hee had not appealed vnto Cesar.

and, speaking to Festus, Agrippa added, “The man might have been discharged, if he had not appealed to the Emperor.”