Acts 25:23-26
Wycliffe Bible
23 And on the tother day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great desire [when Agrippa and Bernice came with much ambition, or pride of state], and entered into the auditorium, with tribunes and the principal men of the city, when Festus bade, Paul was brought.
24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men that be with us, ye see this man, of which all the multitude of Jews prayed me at Jerusalem, and asked, and cried, that he should live no longer[a].
25 But I found, that he had done nothing worthy of death; and I deemed to send him to the emperor, for he appealed this thing [soothly him appealing this thing to the emperor, I deemed to send].
26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.
27 For it is seen to me without reason, to send a bound man, and not to signify the cause of him.
26 And Agrippa said to Paul, It is suffered to thee, to speak for thyself. Then Paul held forth the hand, and began to yield reason.
2 Of all things, in which I am accused of the Jews, thou king Agrippa, I guess me blessed at thee, when I shall defend me this day;
3 most for thou knowest all things that be among Jews, customs and questions. For which thing, I beseech, hear me patiently.
4 For all Jews that before knew me from the beginning, know my life from youth; [And soothly all Jews before-witting me from the beginning, have known my life from youth;]
5 that from the beginning was in my folk in Jerusalem, if they will bear witnessing, that by the most certain sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. [that from the beginning was in my folk in Jerusalem, if they will bear witness, for after the most certain sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.]
6 And now for the hope of repromission, that is made to our fathers of God, I stand subject in doom;
7 in which hope our twelve lineages serving night and day hope to come; of which hope, sir king [of which hope, thou king], I am accused of the Jews.
8 What unbelieveful thing is deemed at you [What unbelieveful thing is deemed of you], if God raiseth dead men?
9 And soothly I guessed, that I ought to do many contrary things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 Which thing also I did in Jerusalem, and I enclosed many of the saints in prison, when I had taken power of the princes of priests. And when they were slain, I brought the sentence. [Which thing and I did in Jerusalem, and I enclosed many of saints in prisons, power taken of the princes of priests. And when they were slain, I gave the sentence.]
11 And by all synagogues oft I punished them, and constrained to blaspheme; and more I waxed mad against them, and pursued [till] into alien cities [and more I waxing mad against them, pursued to alien cities].
12 In which, [the] while I went to Damascus, with power and suffering of the princes of priests,
13 at midday, in the way I saw, sir king, that from heaven a light shined about me, passing the shining of the sun, and about them that were together with me.[b]
14 And when we all had fallen down into the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me? it is hard to thee, to kick against the prick [it is hard for thee, for to kick against the prick].
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou pursuest.
16 But rise up, and stand on thy feet. For why to this thing I appeared to thee, that I ordain thee minister and witness of those things that thou hast seen, and of those things in which I shall show to thee [and of those things in which I shall appear to thee;].
17 And I shall deliver thee from peoples and folks, to which now I send thee, [delivering thee from peoples and folks, into which now I send thee,]
18 to open the eyes of them, that they be converted from darkness to light [to open the eyes of them, that they be turned from darknesses to light], and from power of Satan to God, that they take remission of sins, and part among saints [and sort, or part, among saints], by faith that is in me.
19 Wherefore, sir king Agrippa [Wherefore, thou king Agrippa], I was not unbelieveful to the heavenly vision;
20 but I told [I showed, or told,] to them that be at Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and by all the country of Judaea, and to heathen men, that they should do penance, and be converted to God, and do worthy works of penance.
21 For this cause Jews took me, when I was in the temple, to slay me [and would slay me].
22 But I was helped by the help of God [till] into this day, and stand, witnessing to less and to more [and stand, witnessing to less and more]. And I say nothing else [Nothing saying over] than which things the prophets and Moses spake that shall come,
23 if Christ is to suffer, if he is the first of the again-rising of dead men[c], that shall show light to the people and to heathen men.
Footnotes
- Acts 25:24 asking and crying, that it behooveth not that he live more
- Acts 26:13 in the midday, in the way I saw, thou king, from heaven light shined about me, over the shining of the sun, and them that went together with me.
- Acts 26:23 if Christ is passible, or able to suffer, if the first of the again-rising of dead
Acts 25:23-26
New Matthew Bible
23 And the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and had entered into the council house with the high captains and chief men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth. 24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and everyone here present with us, you see this man, about whom all the Jews have been calling upon me, both at Jerusalem and also here, complaining that he ought not to live any longer. 25 Yet I found nothing worthy of death committed by him. Nevertheless, seeing that he has appealed to Caesar, I have determined to send him. 26 But I have nothing certain to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after examination I might have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the complaints that are laid against him.
King Agrippa hears Paul, who describes his calling from the beginning.
26 Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand and answered for himself:
2 I think myself fortunate, King Agrippa, because I may answer this day before you to all the things I am accused of by the Jews, 3 especially because you are expert in all the customs and questions that are among the Jews. Therefore I beseech you to hear me patiently.
4 My life from my childhood, which was at first among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews 5 who knew me from the beginning know, if they would testify it. For in accordance with the most strict sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 to which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God day and night, hope to attain. For which hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible to you, that God should raise the dead up again?
9 I also truly thought in myself that I ought to do many things to utterly oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth – 10 which things I also did in Jerusalem, where I shut up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the high priests. And when they were put to death, I joined in giving the sentence. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme, and was even more mad upon them, and persecuted them even to distant cities.
12 In going about these things, as I was going to Damascus with leave and authority from the high priests, 13 at midday, O King, I saw in the road a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round about me and those who were journeying with me. 14 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 the pricks. 15 And 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 make you a minister and a witness both of those things you have seen, and of those things in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, and may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.
19 And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but preached first to those of Damascus, and then at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do the right works of repentance. 21 Because of this, the Jews caught me in the temple and went about to kill me. 22 Nevertheless, I obtained help from God, and continue to this day witnessing both to small and to great, speaking of no other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say would come: 23 that Christ would suffer, and that he would be the first to rise from death, and would show light to the people and to the Gentiles.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.