Acts 26 NLT ISV Parallel

◄ Acts 26 ►

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1Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.” So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense:

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

2“I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders,

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,

3for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!

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

4“As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem.

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

5If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion.

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.

6Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors.

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

7In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope!

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 does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?

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

9“I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene.

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

10Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death.

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.

11Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in 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“One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests.

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

13About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions.

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.

14We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will. ’

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.'

15“‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.

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

16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future.

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.

17 And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles

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

18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart 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“And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven.

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

20I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.

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.

21Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me.

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

22But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen—

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 Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”

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."

24Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!”

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

25But Paul replied, “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth.

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

26And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were 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 you do—”

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

28Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

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

29Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same 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!"

30Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left.

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

31As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”

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

32And Agrippa said to Festus, “He could have been set free if he hadn’t 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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