Acts 26

1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.

And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul, having stretched forth his hand, made a defense.

2 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews,

Concerning all things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself blessed, being about to make my defense before thee today.

3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

Especially thee, being an expert of all things regarding Jews, both habits and issues. Therefore I beg thee to hear me patiently.

4 “Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;

Indeed therefore, my manner of life from youth, having developed from the beginning among my nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know,

5 having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

having known me previously from the beginning, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6 Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

And now for the hope of the promise made by God to the fathers, I stand being judged,

7 which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa!

to which our twelve tribes, serving in earnestness night and day, hope to attain, about which hope, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews!

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

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

9 “I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

Indeed therefore I thought it necessary for myself to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene,

10 I also did this in Jerusalem. 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.

which also I did at Jerusalem. And I locked up many of the sanctified in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests. And when they were killed, I gave a vote against them.

11 Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

And punishing them often at all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme. And being extraordinarily furious toward them, I persecuted them even as far as to outside cities.

12 “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,

And during which, while going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,

13 at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.

at midday, O king, I saw on the road a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, which shone around me and those who went with me.

14 When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

And when we all fell to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why do thou persecute me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.

15 “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

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

16 But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will reveal to you;

But arise, and stand upon thy feet, for I appeared to thee for this, to appoint thee an assistant and a witness both of things that thou saw, and of the things that I will make visible to thee,

17 delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,

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

18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

to open their eyes to turn about from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, for them to receive remission of sins and a lot among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.

19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

Whereupon, King Agrippa, I did not become disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20 but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

but declaring first to those at Damascus and then at Jerusalem, and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, to repent and return to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

Because of these things the Jews, having seized me in the temple, tried to grasp and kill me.

22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen,

Having therefore experienced the help from God, I stand to this day solemnly declaring both to small and great, saying nothing apart from what both the prophets and Moses said was going to happen,

23 how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”

that the suffering Christ, since first from a resurrection of the dead, is going to proclaim light to our people and to the nations.

24 As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

And while he made a defense by these things, Festus said in a loud voice, Paul, thou are mad. Much scholarship is driving thee into madness.

25 But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.

But Paul says, I am not mad, eminent Festus, but I speak forth sayings of truth and soberness.

26 For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.

For the king knows about these things, before whom I also speak boldly. For I am convinced not any of these things, nothing, to be hidden from him. For this was not done in a corner.

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

King Agrippa, do thou believe the prophets? I know that thou believe.

28 Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”

And Agrippa said to Paul, By a little thou persuade me to become a Christian.

29 Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”

And Paul said, I ever pray to God, both by little and by much, not only thee, but also all who hear me this day, to become such kind as I also am, apart from these bonds.

30 The king rose up with the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them.

And when he spoke these things, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.

31 When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”

And having withdrawn, they spoke to each other, saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been released, if he had not appealed Caesar.