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Acts 26
Revised Geneva Translation
Acts 26
Revised Geneva Translation
26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So, Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself.
2 “I consider myself happy, King Agrippa. Because today I shall answer before you all the things of which I am accused by the Jews;
3 “especially because you have knowledge of all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore, I beg you to hear me patiently.
4 “Regarding my life from childhood, all the Jews know that from the beginning it was among my own nation at Jerusalem,
5 “They knew me from the beginning and could testify (if they wished) that according to the straightest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.
6 “And now I stand accused of hope in the promise made by God to our Fathers;
7 “to which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God day and night, hope to come. For this hope’s sake, O King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.
8 “Why should it be thought an incredible thing by you that God should raise the dead again?
9 “Truly, I also thought to myself that I ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus of Nazareth;
10 “which I also did in Jerusalem. For I shut up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests. And when they were put to death, I gave sentence.
11 “And I punished them throughout all the synagogues and compelled them to blaspheme. And being extremely enraged against them, I persecuted them, even to strange cities.
12 “At which time, even as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 (at midday, O King) I saw on the way a light from Heaven, surpassing the brightness of the Sun. It shined all around me and those who went with me.
14 “So, when we had all fallen to the Earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against goads.’
15 “Then I said, ‘Who are You, Lord? And he said, ‘I am Jesus, Whom you persecute.
16 ‘But rise and stand up on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you as a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen and of the things in which I will appear to you;
17 ‘I will deliver you from this people, and from the Gentiles to whom now I send you,
18 ‘to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
19 “So, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
20 “But I declared first to those of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea; and then to the Gentiles, so that they would repent and turn to God, and do the works of repentance.
21 “For this reason the Jews arrested me in the Temple and planned to kill me.
22 “Nevertheless, I obtained the help of God, and continue to this day, witnessing to both small and great, saying no other things than those which the Prophets and Moses said would come.
23 “That is, that Christ should suffer. And that He would be the first Who would rise from the dead, and would show light to this people, and to the Gentiles.”
24 And as he answered for himself this way, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul! You are beside yourself! Great learning has made you mad!”
25 But he said, “I am not mad, O noble Festus. Rather, I speak the words of truth and soberness.
26 “For the King knows of these things, before whom I also speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him. For this thing was not done in a corner.
27 “O King Agrippa! Do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe.”
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
29 Then Paul said, “I pray to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains!”
30 And when he had said this, the King rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
31 And when they had gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death, nor of chains.
32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Acts 26
New International Version
Acts 26
New International Version
26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”(A)
So Paul motioned with his hand(B) and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you(C) today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,(D) 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs(E) and controversies.(F) Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,(G) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time(H) and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect(I) of our religion, living as a Pharisee.(J) 6 And now it is because of my hope(K) in what God has promised our ancestors(L) that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes(M) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.(N) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.(O) 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?(P)
9 “I too was convinced(Q) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose(R) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.(S) 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people(T) in prison,(U) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.(V) 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,(W) and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice(X) saying to me in Aramaic,[a](Y) ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.(Z) I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.(AA) 17 I will rescue you(AB) from your own people and from the Gentiles.(AC) I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes(AD) and turn them from darkness to light,(AE) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins(AF) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’(AG)
19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient(AH) to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus,(AI) then to those in Jerusalem(AJ) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,(AK) I preached that they should repent(AL) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.(AM) 21 That is why some Jews seized me(AN) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.(AO) 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen(AP)— 23 that the Messiah would suffer(AQ) and, as the first to rise from the dead,(AR) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”(AS)
24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,(AT) Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning(AU) is driving you insane.”
25 “I am not insane, most excellent(AV) Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things,(AW) and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”(AX)
29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”(AY)
30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice(AZ) and those sitting with them. 31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”(BA)
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free(BB) if he had not appealed to Caesar.”(BC)
Footnotes
- Acts 26:14 Or Hebrew
Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)
© 2019 by Five Talents Audio
New International Version (NIV) 
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