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:

So Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made 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 regard myself as happy, King Agrippa, to make my case before you today against all the accusations of 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 an expert in all the Jewish customs and questions. So I ask 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;

Truly, all the Jews know how I lived from my youth in my own nation and at 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.

They knew me from the beginning and they should admit that I lived as a Pharisee, the strictest party of our religion.

6 And now I stand [here] to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;

Now I stand here to be judged because of my certain hope in 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!

For this is the promise that our twelve tribes sought to receive as they earnestly worshiped God night and day. It is for this certain hope, King Agrippa, that the Jews accuse me.

8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?

Why should any of you think it is unbelievable 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.

Now indeed, I myself thought that I should do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

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 did these in Jerusalem. I locked up many of the saints in prison by the authority I received from the chief priests, and when they were killed, 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.

I punished them many times in all the synagogues and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was furiously enraged against them and I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12 Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,

While I was doing this, I went to Damascus with authority and orders 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.

and on the way there, at midday, King, I saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun and it shone around both me and the men who were 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.

When we all fell to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me that said in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick a goad.'

15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

Then I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' The Lord replied, 'I am Jesus whom you persecute.

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 for this purpose I appeared to you, to appoint you to be a servant and a witness concerning the things that you know about me now and the things that I will show to you later;

17 delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,

and I will rescue you from the people and from the Gentiles to whom 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 and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive from God the forgiveness of sins and the inheritance that I give to them who are sanctified by faith in me.'

19 Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

Therefore, King Agrippa, I did not disobey 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.

but, to those in Damascus first, and then at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, I gave them the message that that they should repent and turn to God, doing deeds worthy of repentance.

21 For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.

For this cause the Jews arrested 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;

God has helped me until now, so I stand and testify to the common people and to the great ones about nothing more than what 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 Christ must suffer and that by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our own people and to the Gentiles.”

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.

As Paul completed his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are insane; your great learning makes you insane.”

25 But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness.

But Paul said, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but what I am declaring is true and rational.

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; and so, I speak freely to him, for I am persuaded that none of this is hidden from him; for this has not been done in a corner.

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

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

28 And Agrippa [said] unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.

Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me and make me 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.

Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether in a short or long time, not you only, but also all that hear me today, would be like me, but without these prison chains.”

30 And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

Then the king stood up, and the governor, and Bernice also, and those who were 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.

when they left the hall, they talked to one another and said, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”

32 And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

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