26:1 And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defense:
26:1 And Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and [proceeded] to make his defense:

26:2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before thee this day touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews:
26:2 "In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today;

26:3 especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
26:3 especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among [the] Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

26:4 My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own nation and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
26:4 "So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my [own] nation and at Jerusalem;

26:5 having knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify, that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
26:5 since they have known about me for a long time previously, if they are willing to testify, that I lived [as] a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.

26:6 And now I stand (here) to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;
26:6 "And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers;

26:7 unto which (promise) our twelve tribes, earnestly serving (God) night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king!
26:7 [the promise] to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve [God] night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews.

26:8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?
26:8 "Why is it considered incredible among you [people] if God does raise the dead?

26:9 I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
26:9 "So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

26:10 And this I also did in Jerusalem: and 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.
26:10 "And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them.

26:11 And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.
26:11 "And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.

26:12 Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
26:12 "While thus engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,

26:13 at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me.
26:13 at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.

26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the goad.
26:14 "And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

26:15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
26:15 "And I said, 'Who art Thou, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

26:16 But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee;
26:16 'But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;

26:17 delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,
26:17 delivering you from the [Jewish] people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,

26:18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. '

26:19 Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
26:19 "Consequently, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision,

26:20 but declared both to them of Damascus first and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
26:20 but [kept] declaring both to those of Damascus first, and [also] at Jerusalem and [then] throughout all the region of Judea, and [even] to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.

26:21 For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.
26:21 "For this reason [some] Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.

26:22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come;
26:22 "And so, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place;

26:23 how that the Christ must suffer, (and) how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.
26:23 that the Christ was to suffer, [and] that by reason of [His] resurrection from the dead He should be the first to proclaim light both to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles. "

26:24 And as he thus made his defense, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning is turning thee mad.
26:24 And while [Paul] was saying this in his defense, Festus *said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! [Your] great learning is driving you mad."

26:25 But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness.
26:25 But Paul *said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.

26:26 For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath not been done in a corner.
26:26 "For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.

26:27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
26:27 "King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do."

26:28 And Agrippa (said) unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
26:28 And Agrippa [replied] to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian."

26:29 And Paul (said), I would to God, that whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except these bonds.
26:29 And Paul [said,] "I would to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains."

26:30 And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
26:30 And the king arose and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them,

26:31 and when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
26:31 and when they had drawn aside, they [began] talking to one another, saying, "This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment."

26:32 And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.
26:32 And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."