Acts 26
1 And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defence:
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defence before thee this day touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews:
“I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in that I am to make my defense before you this day concerning the things of which I am accused by the Jews,
3 especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
especially because you are expert in all the Jewish customs and issues; therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
4 My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own nation, and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
Really, the Jews all know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem,
5 having knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify, how that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
since they have known me for a long time, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.
6 And now I stand [here] to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;
And now I stand here being judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
7 unto which [promise] our twelve tribes, earnestly serving [God] night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king!
to which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. It is because of this hope that I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa.
8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?
Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
“However, I myself thought that I had to perpetrate many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Natsorean;
10 And this I also did in Jerusalem: and 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.
I actually did this in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.
11 And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.
Yes, I punished them often in every synagogue, trying to force them to blaspheme; I was so excessively enraged against them that I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12 Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
“It was on one of those journeys, as I was going to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests,
13 at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me.
at midday, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, blazing around me and those traveling with me.
14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the goad.
Well we all fell to the ground and I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And He said: ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
16 But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee;
Now get up and stand on your feet; because I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness both of the things you have seen and of the things I will reveal to you,
17 delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,
delivering you from ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations, to which I am sending you:
18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
to open their eyes, so as to bring them back from darkness into light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified, by faith into me.’
19 Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision
20 but declared both to them of Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
—first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to all the region of Judea and to the ethnic nations, I still preach: ‘repent and turn back to God, doing works worthy of repentance.’
21 For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.
That is why the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come;
So then, having experienced the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying to both small and great, saying nothing beyond what both the prophets and Moses said would happen
23 how that the Christ must suffer, [and] how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.
—that the Messiah would suffer; that as the first to rise from the dead He would proclaim light to both ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations.”
24 And as he thus made his defence, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning doth turn thee to madness.
Well as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
25 But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness.
So he said: “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus; rather I pronounce words of truth and reasonableness.
26 For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath not been done in a corner.
For the king knows about these things, before whom I speak freely; for I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, since it was not done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
28 And Agrippa [said] unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
So Agrippa said to Paul, “You will soon persuade me to become a Christian!”
29 And Paul [said], I would to God, that whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except these bonds.
So Paul said, “Whether sooner or later, I would to God that not only you but also all who are hearing me this day may become such as I am, except for these chains.”
30 And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
Upon his saying this, the king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them;
31 and when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
and when they had withdrawn they started talking among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”
32 And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.
And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free, if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
