Acts of the Apostles 26

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Yet truly, Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted for you to speak for yourself.” Then Paul, extending his hand, began to offer his defense.
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 consider myself blessed, O king Agrippa, that I am to give my defense today before you, about everything of which I am accused by 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 since you know everything that pertains to the Jews, both customs and questions. Because of this, I beg you to listen to 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 And certainly, all the Jews know about my life from my youth, which had its beginning among my own people in Jerusalem.
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 They knew me well from the beginning, (if they would be willing to offer testimony) for I lived according to the most determined sect of our religion: as 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, it is in the hope of the Promise which was made by God to our fathers that I stand subject to judgment.
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 It is the Promise that our twelve tribes, worshiping night and day, hope to see. About this hope, O king, I am accused by the Jews.
8 Why does it seem incredible to you that God should raise the dead?	8 Why should it be judged so unbelievable with you all that God might 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 And certainly, I myself formerly considered that I ought to act in many ways which are contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.
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 This is also how I acted at Jerusalem. And so, I enclosed many holy persons in prison, having received authority from the leaders of the priests. And when they were to be killed, I brought the sentence.
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 in every synagogue, frequently while punishing them, I compelled them to blaspheme. And being all the more maddened against them, I persecuted them, even to foreign cities.
12 'On such an expedition I was going to Damascus, armed with ful powers and a commission from thechief priests,	12 Thereafter, as I was going to Damascus, with authority and permission from the high priest,
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 and those who were also with me, saw along the way a light from heaven shining around me with a splendor greater than that of the sun.
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 had all fallen down to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew language: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.’
15 Then I said, "Who are you, Lord?" And the Lord answered, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.	15 Then I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
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 up and stand on your feet. For I appeared to you for this reason: so that I may establish you as a minister and a witness concerning the things that you have seen, and concerning the things that I will show to you:
17 I shal rescue you from the people and from the nations to whom I send you	17 rescuing you from the people and the nations to which I am now sending you,
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 in order to open their eyes, so that they may be converted from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive the remission of sins and a place among the saints, through the faith that is in me.’
19 'After that, King Agrippa, I could not disobey the heavenly vision.	19 From then on, O king Agrippa, I was not unbelieving to 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 I preached, first to those who are at Damascus and at Jerusalem, and then to the entire region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, so that they would repent and convert to God, doing the works that are worthy of repentance.
21 This was why the Jews laid hands on me in the Temple and tried to do away with me.	21 It was for this reason that the Jews, having apprehended me when I was in the temple, attempted 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 But having been aided by the help of God, even to this day, I stand witnessing to the small and the great, saying nothing beyond what the Prophets and Moses have said would be in the future:
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 the Christ would suffer, and that he would be the first from the resurrection of the dead, and that he would bring light to the people and to the nations.”
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 While he was speaking these things and presenting his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: “Paul, you are insane! Too much studying has turned you to insanity.”
25 But Paul answered, 'Festus, your Excel ency, I am not mad: I am speaking words of sober truth andgood sense.	25 And Paul said: “I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but rather I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.
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 knows about these things. To him also, I am speaking with constancy. For I think that none of these things are unknown to him. And neither were these things done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, do you believe in the prophets? I know you do.'	27 Do you believe the Prophets, O king Agrippa? I know that you believe.”
28 At this Agrippa said to Paul, 'A little more, and your arguments would make a Christian of me.'	28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “To some extent, you persuade me to become 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 hope to God that, both to a small extent and to a great extent, not only you, but also all those who hear me this day will become just as I also am, except for these chains.”
30 At this the king rose to his feet, with the governor and Bernice and those who sat there with them.	30 And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who were sitting 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 had withdrawn, they were speaking among themselves, saying, “This man has done nothing worthy of death, nor of imprisonment.”
32 And Agrippa remarked to Festus, 'The man could have been set free if he had not appealed toCaesar.'	32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released, if he had not appealed to Caesar.”