Acts 26 Parallel Bible Translations

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1 Agrippa said to Paul, |You're free to speak for yourself.| Paul acknowledged King Agrippa and then began his defense. So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense:
2 |King Agrippa, I think I'm fortunate today to stand in front of you and defend myself against every charge that the Jews brought against me. “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,
3 I say this since you are especially familiar with every custom and controversy in Judaism. So I ask you to listen patiently to me. especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 |All the Jews know how I lived the earliest days of my youth with my own people and in Jerusalem. “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem.
5 They've known me for a long time and can testify, if they're willing, that I followed the strictest party of our religion. They know that I lived my life as a Pharisee. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee.
6 |I'm on trial now because I expect God to keep the promise that he made to our ancestors. And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today.
7 Our twelve tribes expect this promise to be kept as they worship with intense devotion day and night. Your Majesty, the Jews are making accusations against me because I expect God to keep his promise. to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.
8 Why do all of you refuse to believe that God can bring dead people back to life? Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9 |I used to think that I had to do a lot of things to oppose the one named Jesus of Nazareth. “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 That is what I did in Jerusalem. By the authority I received from the chief priests, I locked many Christians in prison. I voted to have them killed every time a vote was taken. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.
11 I even went to each synagogue, punished believers, and forced them to curse [the name of Jesus]. In my furious rage against them, I hunted them down in cities outside [Jerusalem]. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, 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 |I was carrying out these activities when I went to the city of Damascus. I had the power and authority of the chief priests. “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
13 Your Majesty, at noon, while I was traveling, I saw a light that was brighter than the sun. The light came from the sky and shined around me and those who were with me. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 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 All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in Hebrew, 'Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It's hard for [a mortal like] you to resist God.' And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 |I asked, 'Who are you, sir?' |The Lord answered, 'I am Jesus, the one you're persecuting. And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
16 Stand up! I have appeared to you for a reason. I'm appointing you to be a servant and witness of what you have seen and of what I will show you. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, Now get up and stand on your feet. 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.
17 I will rescue you from the Jewish people and from the non-Jewish people to whom I am sending you. delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
18 You will open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's control to God's. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and a share among God's people who are made holy by believing in me.' 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 a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 |At that point I did not disobey the vision I saw from heaven, King Agrippa. “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
20 Instead, I spread the message that I first told to the [Jewish] people in Damascus and Jerusalem and throughout the whole country of Judea. I spread the same message to non-Jewish people. Both groups were expected to change the way they thought and acted and to turn to God. I told them to do things that prove they had changed their lives. but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.
21 For this reason the Jews took me prisoner in the temple courtyard and tried to murder me. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
22 |God has been helping me to this day so that I can stand and testify to important and unimportant people. I tell them only what the prophets and Moses said would happen. To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 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—
23 They said that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to come back to life and would spread light to Jewish and non-Jewish people.| that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
24 As Paul was defending himself in this way, Festus shouted, |Paul, you're crazy! Too much education is driving you crazy!| And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”
25 Paul replied, |I'm not crazy, Your Excellency Festus. What I'm saying is true and sane. But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.
26 I can easily speak to a king who knows about these things. I'm sure that none of these things has escaped his attention. None of this was done secretly. For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. The king is familiar with these things, 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 believe them!| King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28 Agrippa said to Paul, |Do you think you can quickly persuade me to become a Christian?| And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
29 Paul replied, |I wish to God that you and everyone listening to me today would quickly and completely become as I am (except for being a prisoner).| And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” 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.”
30 The king, the governor, Bernice, and the people who were sitting with them got up. Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them.
31 As they were leaving, they said to each other, |This man isn't doing anything for which he deserves to die or be put in prison.| And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”
32 Agrippa told Festus, |This man could have been set free if he hadn't appealed his case to the emperor.| And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
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