Acts 26

1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

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

2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,

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,

3 especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.

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

4 Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from my earliest childhood among my own people, and also in Jerusalem.

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;

5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.

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.

6 And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,

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

7 the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.

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

8 Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

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

9 So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

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

10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.

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.

11 I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute 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.

12 In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.

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

13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.

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.

14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

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.’

15 ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.

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

16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.

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;

17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them

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

18 to open their eyes, so 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 those sanctified by faith in Me.’

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.’

19 So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

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

20 First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.

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.

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

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

22 But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:

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,

23 that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

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.”

24 At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”

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

25 But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.

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

26 For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.

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.

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

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

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”

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

29 “Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”

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.”

30 Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.

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

31 On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”

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

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

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