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.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

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, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee, concerning all the things of which 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 I know] thee to be 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 from my youth, which was at the first among my own nation 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.

Who knew me from the beginning, (if they would testify) that after the strictest 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, and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to 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!

To which [promise] our twelve tribes, assiduously serving [God] day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

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

Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should 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;

Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice 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 I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled [them] to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted [them] even to foreign cities.

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

Upon which as I went to Damascus, with authority and commission from 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 mid-day, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, surpassing the brightness of the sun, shining around me, and them who 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 had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [It is] hard for thee to kick against the goads.

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 he 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 rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared to thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of the things which thou hast seen, and of the things in which I will appear to 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, to whom now 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, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith that is in me.

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

Upon which O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to 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 showed first to them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

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

For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about 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 help from God, I continue to this day, testifying both to small and great, saying no other things than those which 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.

That Christ should suffer, [and] that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light 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 was thus speaking for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee insane.

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

But he said, I am not insane, most noble Festus; but speak forth the 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, before whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not 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!

Then Agrippa said to Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be 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 not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether 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 when he had thus spoken, the king rose, 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 gone aside, they talked between themselves, 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.

Then said Agrippa to Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Cesar.