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

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 think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defence this day before thee concerning all things of which I am accused 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.

especially as thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions among the Jews. Wherefore I beseech 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;

My manner of life, then, from my youth, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem, all 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.

and they know, if they are willing to testify, that from the first, according to the strictest sect 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 I stand on trial for the hope of the promise made by God to the 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!

which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God day and night, hope to obtain; concerning which hope, O king, I am accused by Jews.

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

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

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

I indeed thought with myself that I ought to do many things in opposition 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 I also did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints did I myself shut up in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice 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 I punished them often in all the synagogues, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

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

And as I was going to Damascus on this business, with authority and a commission 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 mid-day, on the road, O king, I saw a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying 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 had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou 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 art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest.

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 have appeared to thee for this purpose, to prepare thee as a minister and a witness both of the things which thou sawest, and of those on account of which I will appear 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 that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among the sanctified, by faith in me.

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

Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not 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 first to those in Damascus, and Jerusalem, and to all the country of Judaea, and then to the gentiles, I proclaimed that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

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

For these causes the Jews seized me in the temple, and attempted 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,

Having, however, obtained help from God, I continue to this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing except those things which the Prophets and Moses said were to come to pass;

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 Christ should suffer, and that, as first of those raised from the dead, he was to proclaim light both to the people and to the gentiles.

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 as he was thus speaking in his defence, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning is making thee mad.

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

But he saith, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but utter words 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 knoweth about these things well; to whom also I speak boldly; for I am persuaded that none of these things is 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, believest thou the Prophets? I know that thou believest.

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

Then Agrippa said to Paul, With little effort thou thinkest to 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 would to God, that with little effort or with great, not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, might be made such as I am, except these bonds.

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

And 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 going aside they talked with each other, saying, This man is doing nothing deserving death, or 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 might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar.