Acts of the Apostles 26

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'You have leave to speak on your own behalf.' And Paul held up his handand began his defence:	1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:
2 'I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in that it is before you I am to answer today all the chargesmade against me by the Jews,	2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
3 the more so because you are an expert in matters of custom and controversy among the Jews. So Ibeg you to listen to me patiently.	3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4 'My manner of life from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and inJerusalem, is common knowledge among the Jews.	4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
5 They have known me for a long time and could testify, if they would, that I fol owed the strictest party inour religion and lived as a Pharisee.	5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6 And now it is for my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors that I am on trial,	6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
7 the promise that our twelve tribes, constant in worship night and day, hope to attain. For that hope,Your Majesty, I am actual y put on trial by Jews!	7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
8 Why does it seem incredible to you that God should raise the dead?	8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
9 'As for me, I once thought it was my duty to use every means to oppose the name of Jesus theNazarene.	9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 This I did in Jerusalem; I myself threw many of God's holy people into prison, acting on authority fromthe chief priests, and when they were being sentenced to death I cast my vote against them.	10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11 I often went round the synagogues inflicting penalties, trying in this way to force them to renouncetheir faith; my fury against them was so extreme that I even pursued them into foreign cities.	11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
12 'On such an expedition I was going to Damascus, armed with ful powers and a commission from thechief priests,	12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 and in the middle of the day as I was on my way, Your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven shiningmore bril iantly than the sun round me and my fel ow-travellers.	13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14 We all fel to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, "Saul, Saul, why are youpersecuting me? It is hard for you, kicking against the goad.	14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15 Then I said, "Who are you, Lord?" And the Lord answered, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.	15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason: to appoint you as myservant and as witness of this vision in which you have seen me, and of others in which I shal appear to you.	16 But 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 the which I will appear unto thee;
17 I shal rescue you from the people and from the nations to whom I send you	17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to God,and receive, through faith in me, forgiveness of their sins and a share in the inheritance of the sanctified."	18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
19 'After that, King Agrippa, I could not disobey the heavenly vision.	19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20 On the contrary I started preaching, first to the people of Damascus, then to those of Jerusalem andal Judaean territory, and also to the gentiles, urging them to repent and turn to God, proving their change ofheart by their deeds.	20 But shewed first unto them 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, and do works meet for repentance.
21 This was why the Jews laid hands on me in the Temple and tried to do away with me.	21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
22 But I was blessed with God's help, and so I have stood firm to this day, testifying to great and smalalike, saying nothing more than what the prophets and Moses himself said would happen:	22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23 that the Christ was to suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he was to proclaim a light forour people and for the gentiles.'	23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
24 He had reached this point in his defence when Festus shouted out, 'Paul, you are out of your mind; althat learning of yours is driving you mad.'	24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
25 But Paul answered, 'Festus, your Excel ency, I am not mad: I am speaking words of sober truth andgood sense.	25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
26 The king understands these matters, and to him I now speak fearlessly. I am confident that nothing ofal this comes as a surprise to him; after al , these things were not done in a corner.	26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, do you believe in the prophets? I know you do.'	27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28 At this Agrippa said to Paul, 'A little more, and your arguments would make a Christian of me.'	28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
29 Paul replied, 'Little or much, I wish before God that not only you but al who are listening to me todaywould come to be as I am -- except for these chains.'	29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
30 At this the king rose to his feet, with the governor and Bernice and those who sat there with them.	30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
31 When they had retired they talked together and agreed, 'This man is doing nothing that deservesdeath or imprisonment.'	31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32 And Agrippa remarked to Festus, 'The man could have been set free if he had not appealed toCaesar.'	32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.