Acts 26 NKJV ISV Parallel

◄ Acts 26 ►

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1Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself:

1Then Agrippa told Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense.

2“I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews,

2"I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, that I can defend myself today against all the accusations of the Jewish leaders,

3especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

3since you are especially familiar with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen patiently to me.

4“My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know.

4All the Jews know how I lived from the earliest days of my youth with my own people and in Jerusalem.

5They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

5They have known for a long time, if they would but testify to it, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the standards of our strictest religious party.

6And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers.

6"And now I stand here on trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our ancestors.

7To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

7Our twelve tribes, worshiping day and night with intense devotion, hope to attain it. It is because of this hope, O King, that I am accused by the Jews.

8Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?

8Why is it thought incredible by all of you that God should raise the dead?

9“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

9Indeed, I myself thought it my duty to take extreme measures against the name of Jesus from Nazareth.

10This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

10That is what I did in Jerusalem. I received authority from the high priests and locked many of the saints in prison. And when I cast my vote against them, they were put to death.

11And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

11I would even punish them frequently in every synagogue and try to make them blaspheme. Raging furiously against them, I would hunt them down even in distant cities.

12“While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

12"That is how I happened to be traveling to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests.

13at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.

13On the road at noon, O King, I saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun. It flashed around me and those who were traveling with me.

14And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

14"All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the cattle prods.'

15So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

15"I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "The Lord answered, 'I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

16But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.

16But get up and stand on your feet, because I've appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you've seen and of what I'll show you.

17I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,

17I'll continue to rescue you from your people and from the gentiles to whom I'm sending you.

18to open their eyes, in order to turn them 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.’

18You will help them understand and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's control to God, so that their sins will be forgiven and they will receive a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

19“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

19"And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

20but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

20Instead, I first told the people in Damascus and Jerusalem, then all the people in Judea—and after that the gentiles—to repent, turn to God, and perform deeds that are consistent with such repentance.

21For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

21For this reason the Jewish leaders grabbed me in the Temple and kept trying to kill me.

22Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—

22I've had help from God to this day, and so I stand here to testify to both the powerful and the lowly alike, stating only what the prophets and Moses said would happen—

23that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

23that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead and would bring light both to our people and to the gentiles."

24Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”

24As he continued his defense, Festus shouted, "You're out of your mind, Paul! Too much education is driving you crazy!"

25But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason.

25But Paul said, "I'm not out of my mind, Your Excellency Festus. I'm reporting what is absolutely true.

26For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner.

26Indeed, the king knows about these things, and I can speak to him freely. For I'm certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this wasn't done in a corner.

27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”

27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe them!"

28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”

28Agrippa asked Paul, "Can you so quickly persuade me to become a Christian?"

29And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”

29Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I wish to God that not only you but everyone listening to me today would become what I am—except for these chains!"

30When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them;

30Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with him got up.

31and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”

31As they were leaving, they began to say to each other, "This man hasn't been doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment."

32Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

32Agrippa told Festus, "This man could have been set free if he hadn't appealed to the emperor."

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