Acts 26

1 And, Agrippa, to Paul, said—It is permitted thee, on thine own behalf, to be speaking. Then Paul, stretching forth his hand, went on to make his defence.

And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defence:

2 Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, King Agrippa, I have been counting myself happy, that, before thee, am I about, this day, to be making my defence;

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:

3 especially, as thou art, well-versed, in all the Jewish customs and questions. Wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently, to hear me.

especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

4 My manner of life, then, from my youth, which, from its commencement, was formed among my nation, even in Jerusalem, know all Jews,

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;

5 inasmuch as they were aforetime observing me, from the outset, —if they please to bear witness, —that, according to the strictest sect of our own religion, I lived, a Pharisee.

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.

6 And, now, for the hope of the promise, unto our fathers, being brought to pass by God, am I standing to be judged, —

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

7 unto which [hope], our twelve-tribed nation, with intensity, night and day, rendering divine service, is hoping to attain—concerning which hope, I am being accused by Jews, O King!

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!

8 What! incredible, is it judged with you, that, God the dead doth raise?

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

9 I, therefore, imagined to myself, that, against the name of Jesus the Nazarene, it was needful, many hostile things, to bring about, —

I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 which also I did in Jerusalem, yea and, many of the saints, I myself, in prisons, shut up, —the authority, from the High-priests, having received: and, when they were to be put to death, I brought against them my vote;

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.

11 and, throughout all the synagogues, ofttimes punishing them, I would fain have compelled them to defame; and, being excessively maddened against them, I went on to pursue them as far as even the outlying cities.

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.

12 Among which things, being on a journey unto Damascus, with the authority and commission of the High-priests,

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

13 at mid-day, on the road, I saw, O King, from heaven, above the splendour of the sun, shining around me, a light, and [around] them who, with me, were journeying;

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.

14 and, when we were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice, saying unto me, in the Hebrew language—Saul! Saul! why, me, art thou persecuting? It is hard for thee, against goads, to be kicking!

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.

15 And, I, said—Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said—I, am Jesus, whom, thou, art persecuting!

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

16 But rise and stand upon thy feet; for, to this end, have I appeared unto thee, —To appoint thee an attendant and a witness, both of the things as to which thou hast seen me, and of those as to which I will appear unto thee:

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;

17 Rescuing thee from among the people, and from among the nations, unto whom, I, am sending thee—

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

18 To open their eyes; that they turn from darkness unto light, and the authority of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among them who have been made holy by the faith respecting me.

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.

19 Wherefore, O King Agrippa, —I became not disobedient unto the heavenly vision;

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

20 But—both to them in Damascus, first, and in Jerusalem, unto all the country of Judaea also, and unto the nations, I carried tidings—that they should repent, and turn unto God, and, works worthy of their repentance, should practise.

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.

21 Because of these things, Jews seized me in the temple, and were attempting to slay me with their own hands.

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

22 So then, having met with, the help that is from God, until this day, do I stand, witnessing to both small and great, nothing else saying, than those things which both the prophets, and Moses, did say should certainly come to pass: —

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;

23 If, to suffer, the Christ was destined, if, the first of a resurrection of the dead, he is about to carry tidings, of light, both unto the people, and unto the nations.

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.

24 Now, as he was saying these things in his defence, Festus, with a loud voice, saith—Thou art raving, Paul! Thy great learning, is turning thee round unto, raving madness.

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.

25 But Paul—I am not raving (saith he), most noble Festus, —but, the declarations of truth and soberness, am I sounding forth:

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

26 For well-knoweth, the king, concerning these things, unto whom, with boldness of utterance, am I speaking; for, that these things are not hidden from him, I am well persuaded, —for, not in a corner, hath this thing been done.

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.

27 Believest thou, King Agrippa, in the prophets? I know that thou believest!

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

28 And, Agrippa, [said] unto Paul—Almost, art thou persuading, me, to become a, Christian!

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

29 And, Paul, [answered] —I could pray unto God that, both almost and altogether, not only thou but all they who are hearing me this day, might become such, —as even, I, am, excepting these bonds.

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.

30 And the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and they who had been sitting with them;

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

31 And, retiring, they began conversing one with another, saying, Nothing worthy of death or of bonds, doth this man practise.

and when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

32 And, Agrippa, unto Festus, said—This man might have been released, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

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