26:1 Now Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul extended his hand and proceeded to make his defense:
26:2 “Regarding all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,
26:3 ①especially because you are an expert in all customs and ②questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
▷ ①Or because you are especially expert ②Or controversial issues
26:4 “So then, all Jews know my way of life since my youth, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and in Jerusalem,
26:5 since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.
26:6 And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers;
26:7 the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. For this hope, O king, I am being accused by Jews.
26:8 Why is it considered incredible among you people if God raises the dead?
26:9 “So I thought to myself that I had to act in strong opposition to the name of Jesus ①of Nazareth.
▷ ①Or the Nazarene
26:10 And this is ①just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the ②saints in prisons, after receiving authority from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being put to death.
▷ ①Lit also ②Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
26:11 And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was extremely enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to ①foreign cities.
▷ ①Or outlying
26:12 “ ①While so engaged, as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
▷ ①Lit In which things
26:13 at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, ①brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying with me.
▷ ①Lit above the brightness of
26:14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the ①Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? ②It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
▷ ①I.e., Jewish Aramaic ②An idiom referring to an animal’s futile resistance to being prodded with a spiked stick
26:15 And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
26:16 But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you as a servant and a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you,
26:17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the ①power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’
▷ ①Or dominion
26:19 “For that reason, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision,
26:20 but continually proclaimed to those in Damascus first, and in Jerusalem, and then all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they are to repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance.
26:21 For these reasons some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to murder me.
26:22 So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place,
26:23 as to whether the ①Christ was ②to suffer, and whether, as first from the resurrection of the dead, He would proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
▷ ①I.e., Messiah ②Lit subject to suffering
26:24 While ①Paul was stating these things in his defense, Festus *said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! ②Your great learning is ③driving you insane.”
▷ ①Lit he ②Lit The many letters; i.e., education ③Lit turning you to madness
26:25 But Paul *said, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; on the contrary, I am speaking out with ①truthful and rational words.
▷ ①Lit words of truth and rationality
26:26 For the king ①knows about these matters, and I also speak to him with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a ②corner.
▷ ①Or understands ②I.e., a hidden or secret place
26:27 King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe.”
26:28 Agrippa replied to Paul, “ ①In a short time you are going to persuade me to ②make a Christian of myself.”
▷ ①Or With a little ②Or act as a Christian
26:29 And Paul said, “I would ①wish to God that even ②in a short or long time not only you, but also all who hear me this day would become such as I myself am, except for these chains.”
▷ ①Or pray to ②Or with a little or with much
26:30 The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them,
26:31 and when they had gone out, they began talking to one another, saying, “This man is not doing anything deserving death or ①imprisonment.”
▷ ①Lit bonds
26:32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”