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Acts 26:2-18
J.B. Phillips New Testament
Acts 26:2-18
J.B. Phillips New Testament
Paul repeats his story on a state occasion
2-3 So Paul, with that characteristic gesture of the hand, began his defence: “King Agrippa, in answering all the charges that the Jews have made against me, I must say how fortunate I consider myself to be in making my defence before you personally today. For I know that you are thoroughly familiar with all the customs and disputes that exist among the Jews. I therefore ask you to listen to me patiently.
4-18 “The fact that I lived from my youth upwards among my own people in Jerusalem is well known to all Jews. They have known all the time, and could witness to the fact if they wished, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. Even today I stand here on trial because of a hope that I hold in a promise that God made to our forefather—a promise for which our twelve tribes served God zealously day and night, hoping to see it fulfilled. It is about this hope, your majesty, that I am being accused by the Jews! Why does it seem incredible to you all that God should raise the dead? I once thought it my duty to oppose with the utmost vigour the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Yes, that is what I did in Jerusalem, and I had many of God’s people imprisoned on the authority of the chief priests, and when they were on trial for their lives I gave my vote against them. Many and many a time in all the synagogues I had them punished and I used to try and force them to deny their Lord. I was mad with fury against them, and I hounded them to distant cities. Once, your majesty, on my way to Damascus on this business, armed with the full authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday I saw a light from Heaven, far brighter than the sun, blazing about me and my fellow-travellers. We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is not for you to kick against your own conscience.’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I said. And the Lord said to me, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Now get up and stand on your feet for I have shown myself to you for a reason—you are chosen to be my servant and a witness to what you have seen of me today, and of other visions of myself which I will give you. I will keep you safe from both your own people and from the Gentiles to whom I now send you. I send you to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God himself, so that they may know forgiveness of their sins and take their place with all those who are made holy by their faith in me.’
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Acts 26:2-18
New International Version
Acts 26:2-18
New International Version
2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you(A) today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,(B) 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs(C) and controversies.(D) 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,(E) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time(F) and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect(G) of our religion, living as a Pharisee.(H) 6 And now it is because of my hope(I) in what God has promised our ancestors(J) that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes(K) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.(L) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.(M) 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?(N)
9 “I too was convinced(O) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose(P) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.(Q) 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(R) in prison,(S) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.(T) 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,(U) 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(V) saying to me in Aramaic,[a](W) ‘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.(X) 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.(Y) 17 I will rescue you(Z) from your own people and from the Gentiles.(AA) I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes(AB) and turn them from darkness to light,(AC) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins(AD) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’(AE)
Footnotes
- Acts 26:14 Or Hebrew
Acts 26:2-18
J.B. Phillips New Testament
Acts 26:2-18
J.B. Phillips New Testament
Paul repeats his story on a state occasion
2-3 So Paul, with that characteristic gesture of the hand, began his defence: “King Agrippa, in answering all the charges that the Jews have made against me, I must say how fortunate I consider myself to be in making my defence before you personally today. For I know that you are thoroughly familiar with all the customs and disputes that exist among the Jews. I therefore ask you to listen to me patiently.
4-18 “The fact that I lived from my youth upwards among my own people in Jerusalem is well known to all Jews. They have known all the time, and could witness to the fact if they wished, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. Even today I stand here on trial because of a hope that I hold in a promise that God made to our forefather—a promise for which our twelve tribes served God zealously day and night, hoping to see it fulfilled. It is about this hope, your majesty, that I am being accused by the Jews! Why does it seem incredible to you all that God should raise the dead? I once thought it my duty to oppose with the utmost vigour the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Yes, that is what I did in Jerusalem, and I had many of God’s people imprisoned on the authority of the chief priests, and when they were on trial for their lives I gave my vote against them. Many and many a time in all the synagogues I had them punished and I used to try and force them to deny their Lord. I was mad with fury against them, and I hounded them to distant cities. Once, your majesty, on my way to Damascus on this business, armed with the full authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday I saw a light from Heaven, far brighter than the sun, blazing about me and my fellow-travellers. We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is not for you to kick against your own conscience.’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I said. And the Lord said to me, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Now get up and stand on your feet for I have shown myself to you for a reason—you are chosen to be my servant and a witness to what you have seen of me today, and of other visions of myself which I will give you. I will keep you safe from both your own people and from the Gentiles to whom I now send you. I send you to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God himself, so that they may know forgiveness of their sins and take their place with all those who are made holy by their faith in me.’
Read full chapter
Acts 26:2-4
New International Version
Acts 26:2-4
New International Version
2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you(A) today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,(B) 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs(C) and controversies.(D) 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,(E) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem.
J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.