Acts 26
1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.
Agrippa then said to Paul, “You are free to speak on your own behalf.” With a sweep of his arm, Paul began his 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,
“I am delighted, King Agrippa, to make my defense before you today regarding everything I am accused of by the Jews,
3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
particularly because you are an expert in all Jewish issues and customs. I beg your patient indulgence as you listen to what I have to say.
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;
All the Jews know my life story—from my earliest days beginning in my own country and then in Jerusalem.
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.
They have known me for a long time and can verify, if they choose to, that I have followed the religious school that observes our faith in the strictest way—I lived as a Pharisee.
6 Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
Now I am standing here to be judged regarding the promised hope God gave to our fathers
7 which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa!
that our twelve tribes hoped to receive as they continually dedicated themselves in God's service. Yes, it's because of this hope that I'm accused by the Jews, Your Majesty!
8 Why is it judged incredible with you if God does raise the dead?
Why should any of you think it's unbelievable that 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.
Previously I was sincerely convinced I should do as much as I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
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.
This is what I did in Jerusalem. I threw many of the believers in prison, having been given authority to do this by the chief priests. When they were sentenced to death I cast my 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.
I had them punished in all the synagogues, trying to make them recant. I was so furiously opposed to them that I went to cities outside our country to persecute them.
12 “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,
That's why one day I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and orders from 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 about noon as I was on my way, Your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven that blazed brighter than the sun. It shone around me and those who were traveling 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.’
All of us fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It's hard for you to fight against me!’
15 “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, the one you're persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
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 pick yourself up and get to your feet. The reason why I've appeared to you is to appoint you as my servant, to be a witness for me, telling others how you have seen me and everything I will reveal to you.
17 delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,
I will save you from your own people and from the foreigners. I am sending you to them
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 so they can turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, and so that they can receive forgiveness for their sins and a place with those who are set right as they trust in me.’
19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
Clearly, King Agrippa, I could not disobey this vision from heaven.
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.
First in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, and then all over Judea and also to the foreigners I shared the message of repentance: how they should turn to God, demonstrating their repentance through their actions.
21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
That's why the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to 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,
God has looked after me so I can stand here today as a witness to everyone, both to ordinary people and to those who are important. I am only repeating what Moses and the prophets said would 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.”
how the Messiah had to suffer, and that by being the first to rise from the dead he would announce the light of God's salvation to both Jews and foreigners.”
24 As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
Festus interrupted Paul as he made his defense, shouting out, “Paul, you've gone mad! All your knowledge is driving you insane!”
25 But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.
“I'm not mad, Festus your Excellency,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and makes sense.
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.
The king recognizes this, and I'm explaining it very clearly. I am sure that he is aware of what's been happening, because none of this took place as if it were hidden in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
King Agrippa, do you believe what the prophets said? I'm sure you do!”
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”
“Do you think you can convince me to become a Christian so quickly?” Agrippa asked Paul.
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.”
“Whether it takes a short time or a long time doesn't matter,” Paul answered. “But my prayer to God is that not just you, but everybody listening to me today would become like me—except for these chains!”
30 The king rose up with the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
The king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice, and everyone who had been sitting with them.
31 When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”
They conferred together after they had left. “This man hasn't done anything that deserves death or imprisonment,” they concluded.
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Agrippa told Festus, “He could have been freed if he hadn't appealed to Caesar.”
