1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Acts 26

2 Paul, in the presence of Agrippa, declareth his life from his childhood, 12 and how miraculously he was converted, and called to his apostleship. 24 Festus chargeth him to be mad, whereunto he answereth modestly. 28 Agrippa is almost persuaded to be a Christian. 31 The whole company pronounce him innocent.

 26:1 Agrippa 67 said 5346 to Paul 3972, “You are permitted 2010 to speak 3004 for yourself 4572.” Then 5119 Paul 3972 stretched 1614 out his hand 5495 and [proceeded] to make 626 his defense 626:

 26:2 ¶ “In regard 4012 to all 3956 the things 3956 of which 3739 I am accused 1458 by the Jews 2453, I consider 2233 myself 1683 fortunate 3107, King 935 Agrippa 67, that I am 3195 about 3195 to make 626 my defense 626 before 1909 you today 4594;

 26:3 especially 3122 because you are an expert 1109 in all 3956 customs 1485 and questions 2213 among 2596 [the] Jews 2453; therefore 1352 I beg 1189a you to listen 191 to me patiently 3116.

 26:4 ¶ “So 3767 then 3767, all 3956 Jews 2453 know 3609a my manner 981 of life 981 from my youth 3503 up, which from the beginning 746 was spent 1096 among 1722 my [own] nation 1484 and at Jerusalem 2414;

 26:5 since they have known 4267 about me for a long 509 time 509, if 1437 they are willing 2309 to testify 3140, that I lived 2198 [as] a Pharisee 5330 according 2596 to the strictest 198a sect 139 of our religion 2356.

 26:6 “And now 3568 I am standing 2476 trial 2919 for the hope 1680 of the promise 1860 made 1096 by God 2316 to our fathers 3962;

 26:7 [the promise] to which 3739 our twelve 1429 tribes 1429 hope 1679 to attain 2658, as they earnestly 1722 1616 serve 3000 [God] night 3571 and day 2250. And for this 3739 hope 1680, O King 935, I am being accused 1458 by Jews 2453.

 26:8 “Why 5101 is it considered 2919 incredible 571 among 3844 you [people] if 1487 God 2316 does raise 1453 the dead 3498?

 26:9 ¶ “So 3767 then 3767, I thought 1380 to myself 1683 that I had 1163 to do 4238 many 4183 things 4183 hostile 1727 to the name 3686 of Jesus 2424 of Nazareth 3480.

 26:10 “And this 3739 is just 2532 what 3739 I did 4160 in Jerusalem 2414; not only 2532 5037 did I lock 2623 up many 4183 of the saints 40 in prisons 5438, having received 2983 authority 1849 from the chief 749 priests 749, but also 5037 when they were being put 337 to death 337 I cast 2702 my vote 5586 against 2702 them.

 26:11 “And as I punished 5097 them often 4178 in all 3956 the synagogues 4864, I tried to force 315 them to blaspheme 987; and being furiously 4057 enraged 1693 at them, I kept pursuing 1377 them even 2193 to foreign 1854 cities 4172.

 26:12 ¶ “While 1722 so 3739 engaged as I was journeying 4198 to Damascus 1154 with the authority 1849 and commission 2011 of the chief 749 priests 749,

 26:13 at midday 2250 3319, O King 935, I saw 3708 on the way 3598 a light 5457 from heaven 3771, brighter 2987 than 5228 the sun 2246, shining 4034 all around 4034 me and those 3588 who were journeying 4198 with me.

 26:14 “And when we had all 3956 fallen 2667 to the ground 1093, I heard 191 a voice 5456 saying 3004 to me in the Hebrew 1446 dialect 1258, ‘Saul 4549, Saul 4549, why 5101 are you persecuting 1377 Me? It is hard 4642 for you to kick 2979b against 4314 the goads 2759.’

 26:15 “And I said 3004, ‘Who 5101 are You, Lord 2962?’ And the Lord 2962 said 3004, ‘I am 1510 Jesus 2424 whom 3739 you are persecuting 1377.

 26:16 ‘But get 450 up and stand 2476 on your feet 4228; for this 3778 purpose I have appeared 3708 to you, to appoint 4400 you a minister 5257 and a witness 3144 not only 5037 to the things which 3739 you have seen 3708, but also 5037 to the things in which 3739 I will appear 3708 to you;

 26:17 rescuing 1807 you from the [Jewish] people 2992 and from the Gentiles 1484, to whom 3739 I am sending 649 you,

 26:18 to open 455 their eyes 3788 so that they may turn 1994 from darkness 4655 to light 5457 and from the dominion 1849 of Satan 4567 to God 2316, that they may receive 2983 forgiveness 859 of sins 266 and an inheritance 2819 among 1722 those 3588 who have been sanctified 37 by faith 4102 in Me.’

 26:19 ¶ “So 3606, King 935 Agrippa 67, I did not prove 1096 disobedient 545 to the heavenly 3770 vision 3701,

 26:20 but [kept] declaring 518 both 5037 to those 3588 of Damascus 1154 first 4413, and [also] at Jerusalem 2414 and [then] throughout all 3956 the region 5561 of Judea 2453, and [even] to the Gentiles 1484, that they should repent 3340 and turn 1994 to God 2316, performing 4238 deeds 2041 appropriate 514 to repentance 3341.

 26:21 “For this 3778 reason 1752a [some] Jews 2453 seized 4815 me in the temple 2413 and tried 3987 to put 1315a me to death 1315a.

 26:22 “So 3767, having obtained 5177 help 1947 from God 2316, I stand 2476 to this 3778 day 2250 testifying 3143 both 5037 to small 3398 and great 3173, stating 3004 nothing 3762 but what 3739 the Prophets 4396 and Moses 3475 said 2980 was going 3195 to take 1096 place 1096;

 26:23 that the Christ 5547 was to suffer 3805, [and] that by reason 1537 of [His] resurrection 386 from the dead 3498 He would 3195 be the first 4413 to proclaim 2605 light 5457 both 5037 to the [Jewish] people 2992 and to the Gentiles 1484.”

 26:24 ¶ While [Paul] was saying 626 this 3778 in his defense 626, Festus 5347 *said 5346 in a loud 3173 voice 5456, “Paul 3972, you are out of your mind 3105! [Your] great 4183 learning 1121 is driving 4062 you mad 3130.”

 26:25 But Paul 3972 *said 5346, “I am 3105 not out of my mind 3105, most 2903 excellent 2903 Festus 5347, but I utter 669 words 4487 of sober 4997 truth 225.

 26:26 “For the king 935 knows 1987 about 4012 these 3778 matters, and I speak 2980 to him also 2532 with confidence 3955, since 1063 I am persuaded 3982 that none 3756 3762 of these 3778 things 3778 escape 2990 his notice 2990; for this 3778 has not been 1510 done 4238 in a corner 1137.

 26:27 “King 935 Agrippa 67, do you believe 4100 the Prophets 4396? I know 3609a that you do 4100.”

 26:28 Agrippa 67 [replied] to Paul 3972, “In a short 3641 time 3641 you will persuade 3982 me to become 4160 a Christian 5546.”

 26:29 And Paul 3972 [said], “I would 2172 wish 2172 to God 2316, that whether 2532 in a short 3641 or 2532 long 3173 time 3173, not only 3440 you, but also 2532 all 3956 who hear 191 me this 4594 day 4594, might become 1096 such 5108 as I am 1510, except 3924 for these 3778 chains 1199.”

 26:30 ¶ The king 935 stood 450 up and the governor 2232 and Bernice 959, and those 3588 who were sitting 4775 with them,

 26:31 and when they had gone 402 aside 402, they [began] talking 2980 to one 240 another 240, saying 3004, “This 3778 man 444 is not doing 4238 anything 3762 worthy 514 of death 2288 or 2228 imprisonment 1199.”

 26:32 And Agrippa 67 said 5346 to Festus 5347, “This 3778 man 444 might 1410 have been 1096 set 630 free 630 if 1487 he had not appealed 1941 to Caesar 2541.”