1 ¶ Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand and answered for himself:

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 esteem myself blessed, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee concerning all the things of which I am accused of 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 I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews; therefore, 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 from my youth, which from the beginning was among my own nation at Jerusalem, is known of 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 w ho knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most perfect 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 and am 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, constantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

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

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

9 I verily had thought 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 W hich things I also did in Jerusalem, and I shut up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the princes of the priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my voice 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 I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to 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 ¶ Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the princes of the priests,

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

13 a t midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and those who 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 speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

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 he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute.

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

16 B ut rise and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen and of those things in which 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 now 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 and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified by the faith that is 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 hereupon, 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 I announced first unto those of Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coasts of Judaea and then 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 these causes the Jews caught me in the temple and went about 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 help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said 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 t hat the Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should show light unto this 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 ¶ And as he spoke these things and answered for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make 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 he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth words of truth and temperance.

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

26 F or the king knows of these things, before whom I also speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not 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, dost thou believe the prophets? I know that thou believest.

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

28 T hen Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be 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 desire before God that by little or by much, not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were 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 when he had said these things, the king rose up and the governor and Bernice and those 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 were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man does 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 T hen 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.