1 A nd Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defence:

Then Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak on your own behalf. At that Paul stretched forth his hand and made his defense:

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:

I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that it is before you that I am to make my defense today in regard to all the charges brought against me by Jews,

3 e specially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

because you are so fully and unusually conversant with all the Jewish customs and controversies; therefore, I beg you to hear me patiently.

4 M y manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own nation and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

My behavior and manner of living from my youth up is known by all the Jews; that from commencement my youth was spent among my own race in Jerusalem.

5 h aving knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify, that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

They have had knowledge of me for a long time, if they are willing to testify to it, that in accordance with the strictest sect of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee.

6 A nd now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;

And now I stand here on trial of the hope of that promise made to our forefathers by God,

7 u nto 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!

Which hope our twelve tribes confidently expect to realize as they fervently worship night and day. And for that hope, O king, I am accused by Jews and considered a criminal!

8 W hy is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?

Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

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

I myself indeed was persuaded that it was my duty to do many things contrary to and in defiance of the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 A nd 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.

And that is what I did in Jerusalem; I locked up many of the saints (holy ones) in prison by virtue of authority received from the chief priests, but when they were being condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.

11 A nd 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.

And frequently I punished them in all the synagogues to make them blaspheme; and in my bitter fury against them, I harassed (troubled, molested, persecuted) and pursued them even to foreign cities.

12 W hereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,

Thus engaged I proceeded to Damascus with the authority and orders of the chief priests,

13 a t 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.

When on the road at midday, O king, I saw a light from heaven surpassing the brightness of the sun, flashing about me and those who were traveling with me.

14 A nd 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.

And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice in the Hebrew tongue saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you continue to persecute Me ? It is dangerous and turns out badly for you to keep kicking against the goads.

15 A nd I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

And I said, Who are You, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting.

16 B ut 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;

But arise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, that I might appoint you to serve as minister and to bear witness both to what you have seen of Me and to that in which I will appear to you,

17 d elivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,

Choosing you out and delivering you from among this people and the Gentiles to whom I am sending you—

18 t o 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.

To open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may thus receive forgiveness and release from their sins and a place and portion among those who are consecrated and purified by faith in Me.

19 W herefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,

20 b ut 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.

But made known openly first of all to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout the whole land of Judea, and also among the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works and live lives consistent with and worthy of their repentance.

21 F or this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.

Because of these things the Jews seized me in the temple '> enclosure] and tried to do away with me.

22 H aving 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;

to this day I have had the help which comes from God '> ally], and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike, asserting nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses declared would come to pass—

23 h ow 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.

That the Christ (the Anointed One) must suffer and that He, by being the first to rise from the dead, would declare and show light both to the people and to the Gentiles.

24 A nd as he thus made his defense, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning is turning thee mad.

And as he thus proceeded with his defense, Festus called out loudly, Paul, you are mad! Your great learning is driving you insane!

25 B ut Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness.

But Paul replied, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but I am uttering the straight, sound truth.

26 F or 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.

For the king understands about these things well enough, and to him I speak with bold frankness and confidence. I am convinced that not one of these things has escaped his notice, for all this did not take place in a corner.

27 K ing Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I perceive and know that you do believe.

28 A nd Agrippa said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, You think it a small task to make a Christian of me.

29 A nd 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.

And Paul replied, Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you, but also all who are listening to me today, might become such as I am, except for these chains.

30 A nd the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

Then the king arose, and the governor and Bernice and all those who were seated with them;

31 a nd when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

And after they had gone out, they said to one another, This man is doing nothing deserving of death or of imprisonment.

32 A nd Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been set at liberty if he had not appealed to Caesar.