26:1 And Agrippa said unto Paul, `It is permitted to thee to speak for thyself;' then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a defence:
26:2 `Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, king Agrippa, I have thought myself happy, being about to make a defence before thee to-day,
26:3 especially knowing thee to be acquainted with all things -- both customs and questions -- among Jews; wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently to hear me.
26:4 `The manner of my life then, indeed, from youth -- which from the beginning was among my nation, in Jerusalem -- know do all the Jews,
26:5 knowing me before from the first, (if they may be willing to testify,) that after the most exact sect of our worship, I lived a Pharisee;
26:6 and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,
26:7 to which our twelve tribes, intently night and dayserving, do hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, king Agrippa, by the Jews;
26:8 why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?
26:9 `I, indeed, therefore, thought with myself, that against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved [me] many things to do,
26:10 which also I did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I in prison did shut up, from the chief priests having received the authority; they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them,
26:11 and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining [them] to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting [them] even unto strange cities.
26:12 `In which things, also, going on to Damascus -- with authority and commission from the chief priests --
26:13 at mid-day, I saw in the way, O king, out of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me a light -- and those going on with me;
26:14 and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? hard for thee against pricks to kick!
26:15 `And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute;
26:16 but rise, and stand upon thy feet, for for this I appeared to thee, to appoint thee an officer and a witness both of the things thou didst see, and of the things [in which] I will appear to thee,
26:17 delivering thee from the people, and the nations, to whom now I send thee,
26:18 to open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of the Adversary unto God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified, by faith that [is] toward me.
26:19 `Whereupon, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
26:20 but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, to all the region also of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to reform, and to turn back unto God, doing works worthy of reformation;
26:21 because of these things the Jews -- having caught me in the temple -- were endeavouring to kill [me].
26:22 `Having obtained, therefore, help from God, till this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spake of as about to come,
26:23 that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a rising from the dead, he is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.'
26:24 And, he thus making a defence, Festus with a loud voice said, `Thou art mad, Paul; much learning doth turn thee mad;'
26:25 and he saith, `I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness the sayings I speak forth;
26:26 for the king doth know concerning these things, before whom also I speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing hath not been done in a corner;
26:27 thou dost believe, king Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that thou dost believe!'
26:28 And Agrippa said unto Paul, `In a little thou dost persuade me to become a Christian!'
26:29 and Paul said, `I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only thee, but also all those hearing me to-day, to become such as I also am -- except these bonds.'
26:30 And, he having spoken these things, the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and those sitting with them,
26:31 and having withdrawn, they were speaking unto one another, saying -- `This man doth nothing worthy of death or of bonds;'
26:32 and Agrippa said to Festus, `This man might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.'
