Acts 26

1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made 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 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defence before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Judeans,

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 because you are expert in all customs and questions which are amongst Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the holy ones in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

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 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 every synagogue, and compelled [them] to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted [them] even to foreign cities.

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

Upon which as I went to Damascus, with authority and 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 travelled with me.

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 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 language, 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 Yeshua, whom you are persecuting.

And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he 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 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 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 now 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 amongst those who are sanctified by faith in 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 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

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

For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about 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 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 how the Messiah 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 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 As he thus made his defence, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

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

But he said, I am not insane, most noble Festus; but speak forth the 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 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 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 Messianic?”

Then Agrippa said to Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be 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 not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

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

And when he had thus spoken, the king rose, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that 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 when they had gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth 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.”

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