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26 And Agrippa said to Paul, It is suffered to thee, to speak for thyself. Then Paul held forth the hand, and began to yield reason.

Of all things, in which I am accused of the Jews, thou king Agrippa, I guess me blessed at thee, when I shall defend me this day;

most for thou knowest all things that be among Jews, customs and questions. For which thing, I beseech, hear me patiently.

For all Jews that before knew me from the beginning, know my life from youth; [And soothly all Jews before-witting me from the beginning, have known my life from youth;]

that from the beginning was in my folk in Jerusalem, if they will bear witnessing, that by the most certain sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. [that from the beginning was in my folk in Jerusalem, if they will bear witness, for after the most certain sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.]

And now for the hope of repromission, that is made to our fathers of God, I stand subject in doom;

in which hope our twelve lineages serving night and day hope to come; of which hope, sir king [of which hope, thou king], I am accused of the Jews.

What unbelieveful thing is deemed at you [What unbelieveful thing is deemed of you], if God raiseth dead men?

And soothly I guessed, that I ought to do many contrary things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 Which thing also I did in Jerusalem, and I enclosed many of the saints in prison, when I had taken power of the princes of priests. And when they were slain, I brought the sentence. [Which thing and I did in Jerusalem, and I enclosed many of saints in prisons, power taken of the princes of priests. And when they were slain, I gave the sentence.]

11 And by all synagogues oft I punished them, and constrained to blaspheme; and more I waxed mad against them, and pursued [till] into alien cities [and more I waxing mad against them, pursued to alien cities].

12 In which, [the] while I went to Damascus, with power and suffering of the princes of priests,

13 at midday, in the way I saw, sir king, that from heaven a light shined about me, passing the shining of the sun, and about them that were together with me.[a]

14 And when we all had fallen down into the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me? it is hard to thee, to kick against the prick [it is hard for thee, for to kick against the prick].

15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou pursuest.

16 But rise up, and stand on thy feet. For why to this thing I appeared to thee, that I ordain thee minister and witness of those things that thou hast seen, and of those things in which I shall show to thee [and of those things in which I shall appear to thee;].

17 And I shall deliver thee from peoples and folks, to which now I send thee, [delivering thee from peoples and folks, into which now I send thee,]

18 to open the eyes of them, that they be converted from darkness to light [to open the eyes of them, that they be turned from darknesses to light], and from power of Satan to God, that they take remission of sins, and part among saints [and sort, or part, among saints], by faith that is in me.

19 Wherefore, sir king Agrippa [Wherefore, thou king Agrippa], I was not unbelieveful to the heavenly vision;

20 but I told [I showed, or told,] to them that be at Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and by all the country of Judaea, and to heathen men, that they should do penance, and be converted to God, and do worthy works of penance.

21 For this cause Jews took me, when I was in the temple, to slay me [and would slay me].

22 But I was helped by the help of God [till] into this day, and stand, witnessing to less and to more [and stand, witnessing to less and more]. And I say nothing else [Nothing saying over] than which things the prophets and Moses spake that shall come,

23 if Christ is to suffer, if he is the first of the again-rising of dead men[b], that shall show light to the people and to heathen men.

24 When he spake these things, and yielded reason, Festus said with great voice, Paul, thou maddest [Paul, thou maddest, or waxest mad]; many letters turn thee to madness.

25 And Paul said, I mad not, thou best Festus, but I speak out the words of truth and of soberness [but I speak out the words of truth and soberness].

26 For also the king, to whom I speak steadfastly, knoweth of these things; for I deem, that nothing of these is hid from him; for neither in a corner was aught of these things done.

27 Believest thou, king Agrippa, to prophets? I know that thou believest.

28 And Agrippa said to Paul, In little thing thou counselest me to be made a christian man. [Soothly Agrippa said to Paul, A little thou counselest me for to be made a christian man.]

29 And Paul said, I desire with God, both in little and in great, not only thee, but [and] all these that hear to day, to be made such as I am, except these bonds.

30 And the king rose up, and the president, and Bernice, and they that sat nigh to them.

31 And when they went away, they spake together, and said, That this man hath not done any thing worthy death, neither bonds.[c]

32 And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might be delivered, if he had not appealed to the emperor. [Forsooth Agrippa said to Festus, This man might be dismissed, or delivered, if he had not appealed to Caesar.]

Footnotes

  1. Acts 26:13 in the midday, in the way I saw, thou king, from heaven light shined about me, over the shining of the sun, and them that went together with me.
  2. Acts 26:23 if Christ is passible, or able to suffer, if the first of the again-rising of dead
  3. Acts 26:31 Which when they went away, spake together, saying, That this man hath not done any thing worthy death, or bonds.

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”(A)

So Paul motioned with his hand(B) and began his defense: “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you(C) today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,(D) and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs(E) and controversies.(F) Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

“The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,(G) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time(H) and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect(I) of our religion, living as a Pharisee.(J) And now it is because of my hope(K) in what God has promised our ancestors(L) that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes(M) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.(N) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.(O) Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?(P)

“I too was convinced(Q) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose(R) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.(S) 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people(T) in prison,(U) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.(V) 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,(W) and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice(X) saying to me in Aramaic,[a](Y) ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.(Z) I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.(AA) 17 I will rescue you(AB) from your own people and from the Gentiles.(AC) I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes(AD) and turn them from darkness to light,(AE) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins(AF) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’(AG)

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient(AH) to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus,(AI) then to those in Jerusalem(AJ) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,(AK) I preached that they should repent(AL) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.(AM) 21 That is why some Jews seized me(AN) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.(AO) 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen(AP) 23 that the Messiah would suffer(AQ) and, as the first to rise from the dead,(AR) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”(AS)

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,(AT) Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning(AU) is driving you insane.”

25 “I am not insane, most excellent(AV) Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things,(AW) and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”(AX)

29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”(AY)

30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice(AZ) and those sitting with them. 31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”(BA)

32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free(BB) if he had not appealed to Caesar.”(BC)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 26:14 Or Hebrew