Acts 26

1 Agrippa sayde vnto Paul: thou arte permitted to speake for thy selfe. Then Paul stretched forth the honde and answered for him selfe.

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

2 I thynke my selfe happy kynge Agrippa because I shall answere this daye before the of all the thinges wherof I am accused of ye Iewes

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before you concerning all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

3 namely because thou arte experte in all customes and questions which are amonge the Iewes. Wherfore I beseche the to heare me paciently.

Especially because I know you to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I plead to you to hear me patiently.

4 My lyvynge of a chylde which was at the fyrst amoge myne awne nacion at Ierusalem knowe all the Iewes

My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

5 which knew me from ye beginnynge yf they wolde testifie it. For after the most straytest secte of oure laye lyved I a pharisaye.

Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6 And now I stond and am iudged for the hope of the promes made of God vnto oure fathers:

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers:

7 vnto which promes oure. xii. tribes instantly servynge God daye and nyght hope to come. For which hopes sake kynge Agrippa am I accused of the Iewes.

Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

8 Why shuld it be thought a thinge vncredible vnto you that god shuld rayse agayne the deed?

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

9 I also verely thought in my selfe that I ought to do many cotrary thinges clene agaynst the name of Iesus of Nazareth:

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

10 which thinge I also dyd in Ierusalem. Where many of the sainctes I shut vp in preson and had receaved auctorite of ye hye prestes. And whe they were put to deeth I gave the sentence.

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 I punysshed them ofte in every synagoge and compelled them to blaspheme: and was yet more mad apon them and persecuted the even vnto straunge cities.

And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

12 About the which thinges as I went to Damasco with auctorite and licence of the hye Prestes

Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

13 even at myddaye (o kynge) I sawe in ye waye a lyght from heven above the brightnes of the sunne shyne rounde about me and them which iorneyed with me.

At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

14 When we were all fallen to the erth I hearde a voyce speakynge vnto me and sayinge in ye Hebrue tonge: Saul Saul why persecutest thou me? It is harde for the to kicke agaynste the pricke.

And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecute you me? it is hard for you to kick against the pricks.

15 And I sayde: Who arte thou lorde? And he sayde I am Iesus whom thou persecutest.

And I said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you persecute.

16 But ryse and stond vp on thy fete. For I have apered vnto the for this purpose to make the a minister and a witnes both of tho thinges which thou hast sene and of tho thinges in the which I will appere vnto the

But rise, and stand upon your feet: for I have appeared unto you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of these things which you have seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto you;

17 delyverynge the from the people and from ye gentyls vnto which nowe I sende the

Delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send you,

18 to open their eyes that they myght turne from darcknes vnto lyght and from the power of Satan vnto God that they maye receave forgevenes of synnes and inheritauce amonge the 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 unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

19 Wherfore kynge Agrippa I was not disobedient vnto the hevenly vision:

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

20 but shewed fyrst vnto them of Damasco and at Ierusalem and thorow out all the costes of Iewry and to the gentyls that they shuld repent and turne to God and do the ryght workes of repentaunce.

But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

21 For this cause the Iewes caught me in the temple and went about to kyll me.

For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

22 Neverthelesse I obtayned helpe of God and cotynew vnto this daye witnessyng bothe to small and to greate saying none other thinges then those which the prophetes and Moses dyd saye shuld come

Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

23 that Christ shulde suffre and that he shuld be the fyrst that shulde ryse from deeth and shuld shewe lyght vnto the people and the gentyls.

That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

24 As he thus answered for him selfe: Festus sayde with a lowde voyce: Paul thou arte besides thy selfe. Moche learnynge hath made the mad.

And as he thus spoke for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, you are out of your mind; much learning does make you mad.

25 And Paul sayde: I am not mad most dere Festus: but speake the wordes of trueth and sobernes.

But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words (rhema) of truth and soberness.

26 The kynge knoweth of these thinges before whom I speke frely: nether thynke I that eny of these thinges are hydden fro him. For this thinge was not done in a corner.

For the king knows 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 Kynge Agrippa belevest thou ye prophetes? I wote well thou belevest.

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

28 Agrippa sayde vnto Paul: Sumwhat thou bringest me in mynde for to be come a Christen.

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost you persuade me to be a Christian.

29 And Paul sayd: I wolde to God that not only thou: but also all that heare me to daye were not sumwhat only but altogeder soche as I am except these bondes.

And Paul said, I would to God, that not only you, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

30 And when he had thus spoken the kynge rose vp and the debite and Bernice and they that sate with them.

And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

31 And when they were gone aparte they talked betwene them selves sayinge: This man doeth nothinge worthy of deeth nor of bondes.

And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

32 Then sayde Agrippa vnto Festus: This man myght have bene lowsed yf he had not appealed vnto Cesar.

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