Acts 26 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
1 Ἀγρίππας δὲ πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον ἔφη· ἐπιτρέπεταί σοι ὑπὲρ σεαυτοῦ λέγειν. τότε ὁ Παῦλος ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἀπελογεῖτο·
2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,
2 περὶ πάντων ὧν ἐγκαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, ἥγημαι ἐμαυτὸν μακάριον ἐπὶ σοῦ μέλλων ἀπολογεῖσθαι σήμερον,
3 especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.
3 μάλιστα γνώστην ὄντα σε πάντων τῶν κατὰ Ἰουδαίους ἐθῶν τε καὶ ζητημάτων· διὸ δέομαί σου μακροθύμως ἀκοῦσαί μου.
4 Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem.
4 Τὴν μὲν οὖν βίωσίν μου τὴν ἐκ νεότητος τὴν ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς γενομένην ἐν τῷ ἔθνει μου ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἴσασι πάντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι,
5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
5 προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν, ἐὰν θέλωσι μαρτυρεῖν, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην αἵρεσιν τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας ἔζησα Φαρισαῖος.
6 And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,
6 καὶ νῦν ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι τῆς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἐπαγγελίας γενομένης ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἕστηκα κρινόμενος,
7 the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.
7 εἰς ἣν τὸ δωδεκάφυλον ἡμῶν ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν λατρεῦον ἐλπίζει καταντῆσαι· περὶ ἧς ἐλπίδος ἐγκαλοῦμαι, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, ὑπὸ [τῶν] Ἰουδαίων.
8 Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
8 τί ἄπιστον κρίνεται παρ᾽ ὑμῖν εἰ ὁ Θεὸς νεκροὺς ἐγείρει;
9 So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
9 ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἔδοξα ἐμαυτῷ πρὸς τὸ ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου δεῖν πολλὰ ἐναντία πρᾶξαι·
10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.
10 ὃ καὶ ἐποίησα ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν ἁγίων ἐγὼ ἐν φυλακαῖς κατέκλεισα τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων ἐξουσίαν λαβών, ἀναιρουμένων τε αὐτῶν κατήνεγκα ψῆφον,
11 I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
11 καὶ κατὰ πάσας τὰς συναγωγὰς πολλάκις τιμωρῶν αὐτοὺς ἠνάγκαζον βλασφημεῖν, περισσῶς τε ἐμμαινόμενος αὐτοῖς ἐδίωκον ἕως καὶ εἰς τὰς ἔξω πόλεις.
12 In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
12 Ἐν οἷς [καὶ] πορευόμενος εἰς τὴν Δαμασκὸν μετ᾽ ἐξουσίας καὶ ἐπιτροπῆς τῆς παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων,
13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
13 ἡμέρας μέσης κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν εἶδον, βασιλεῦ, οὐρανόθεν ὑπὲρ τὴν λαμπρότητα τοῦ ἡλίου περιλάμψαν με φῶς καὶ τοὺς σὺν ἐμοὶ πορευομένους·
14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
14 πάντων δὲ καταπεσόντων ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἤκουσα φωνὴν λαλοῦσαν πρός με καὶ λέγουσαν τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ· Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις; σκληρόν σοι πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν.
15 ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
15 ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπον· τίς εἶ, Κύριε; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὃν σὺ διώκεις.
16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.
16 ἀλλὰ ἀνάστηθι καὶ στῆθι ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας σου· εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ὤφθην σοι, προχειρίσασθαί σε ὑπηρέτην καὶ μάρτυρα ὧν τε εἶδες ὧν τε ὀφθήσομαί σοι,
17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
17 ἐξαιρούμενός σε ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν, εἰς οὓς ἐγώ σε ἀποστέλλω
18 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 an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’
18 ἀνοῖξαι ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν, τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι ἀπὸ σκότους εἰς φῶς καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν, τοῦ λαβεῖν αὐτοὺς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ κλῆρον ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις πίστει τῇ εἰς ἐμέ.
19 So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
19 Ὅθεν, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, οὐκ ἐγενόμην ἀπειθὴς τῇ οὐρανίῳ ὀπτασίᾳ,
20 First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
20 ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐν Δαμασκῷ πρῶτον καὶ Ἱεροσολύμοις, εἰς πᾶσάν τε τὴν χώραν τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπαγγέλλω μετανοεῖν καὶ ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν, ἄξια τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα πράσσοντας.
21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
21 ἕνεκα τούτων με οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι συλλαβόμενοι ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἐπειρῶντο διαχειρίσασθαι.
22 But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
22 ἐπικουρίας οὖν τυχὼν τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης ἕστηκα μαρτυρόμενος μικρῷ τε καὶ μεγάλῳ, οὐδὲν ἐκτὸς λέγων ὧν τε οἱ προφῆται ἐλάλησαν μελλόντων γενέσθαι καὶ Μωϋσῆς,
23 that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
23 εἰ παθητὸς ὁ Χριστός, εἰ πρῶτος ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν φῶς μέλλει καταγγέλλειν τῷ λαῷ καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσι.
24 At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”
24 Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀπολογουμένου ὁ Φῆστος μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ ἔφη· μαίνῃ, Παῦλε· τὰ πολλά σε γράμματα εἰς μανίαν περιτρέπει.
25 But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.
25 ὁ δέ, οὐ μαίνομαι, φησί, κράτιστε Φῆστε, ἀλλὰ ἀληθείας καὶ σωφροσύνης ῥήματα ἀποφθέγγομαι.
26 For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.
26 ἐπίσταται γὰρ περὶ τούτων ὁ βασιλεύς, πρὸς ὃν καὶ παρρησιαζόμενος λαλῶ· λανθάνειν γὰρ αὐτόν τι τούτων οὐ πείθομαι οὐδέν· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐν γωνίᾳ πεπραγμένον τοῦτο.
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
27 πιστεύεις, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, τοῖς προφήταις; οἶδα ὅτι πιστεύεις.
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”
28 ὁ δὲ Ἀγρίππας πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον ἔφη· ἐν ὀλίγῳ με πείθεις Χριστιανὸν γενέσθαι.
29 “Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”
29 ὁ δὲ Παῦλος εἶπεν· εὐξαίμην ἂν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἐν ὀλίγῳ καὶ ἐν πολλῷ οὐ μόνον σέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντάς μου σήμερον γενέσθαι τοιούτους ὁποῖος κἀγώ εἰμι, παρεκτὸς τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων.
30 Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.
30 Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ ἀνέστη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ ἡγεμὼν ἥ τε Βερνίκη καὶ οἱ συγκαθήμενοι αὐτοῖς,
31 On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
31 καὶ ἀναχωρήσαντες ἐλάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγοντες ὅτι οὐδὲν θανάτου ἄξιον ἢ δεσμῶν πράσσει ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος.
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
32 Ἀγρίππας δὲ τῷ Φήστῳ ἔφη· ἀπολελύσθαι ἐδύνατο ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος, εἰ μὴ ἐπεκέκλητο Καίσαρα.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Agrippa
King Agrippa, who with Bernice visited Festus and heard Paul's defense, replying that Paul almost persuaded him to become a Christian.
Cited in the guide: Acts 25:13; Acts 26:1; Acts 26:28
Bernice
Arrived with King Agrippa at Caesarea to pay respects to Festus and sat with him to hear Paul.
Cited in the guide: Acts 25:13; Acts 25:23; Acts 26:30
Cross references (31)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Acts 9:15; John 7:51; Proverbs 1:24; Acts 26:2; Acts 22:1
- 3 Acts 6:14; Acts 26:26; Acts 24:4; Acts 28:17; 1 Corinthians 13:2
- 4 Galatians 1:13; 2 Timothy 3:10; Acts 22:3; Philippians 3:5
- 5 Acts 23:6; Acts 22:3; Acts 22:5; Acts 24:5; Philippians 3:5–6
- 6 Titus 2:13; Acts 28:20; Daniel 7:13–14; Acts 24:15; Romans 15:8
- 7 James 1:1; 1 Timothy 5:5; Philippians 3:11; Luke 22:30; Ezra 6:17
- 8 1 Corinthians 15:12–20; Acts 4:2; Acts 17:31–32; Philippians 3:21; Acts 10:40–42
- 9 1 Timothy 1:13; Acts 22:8; Galatians 1:13–14; Philippians 3:6; John 16:2–3
- 10 Acts 8:3; Acts 9:13–14; Acts 9:21; Acts 22:4–5; Acts 8:1
- 11 Acts 13:45; Acts 22:19; Matthew 10:17; Acts 9:1; Acts 22:5
- 12 Acts 26:10; Acts 9:1–8; Acts 22:5–11; Jeremiah 26:8; John 11:57
- 13 Revelation 1:16; Revelation 21:23; Matthew 17:2; Acts 22:6; Acts 9:3
- 14 Acts 21:40; Acts 22:2; Acts 9:7; Acts 22:7–9; Zechariah 2:8
- 15 John 15:20–21; Matthew 25:45; Matthew 25:40; Exodus 16:8
- 16 Acts 22:14–15; Ezekiel 2:1; Daniel 10:11; 1 Timothy 1:12; Galatians 1:12
- 17 Acts 9:15; 1 Timothy 2:7; Jeremiah 1:19; Romans 11:13; 2 Timothy 4:16–17
- 18 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 1:18; Acts 20:32; Ephesians 5:8; Isaiah 42:7
- 19 Isaiah 50:5; Ezekiel 2:7–8; Galatians 1:16; Jeremiah 20:9; Exodus 4:13–14
- 20 Acts 3:19; Matthew 3:8; 2 Timothy 2:25–26; Acts 2:38; Matthew 9:13
- 21 Acts 21:30–31; Acts 21:27; Acts 25:3; Acts 22:22; Acts 23:12–15
- 22 John 5:46; Acts 24:14; Luke 24:44; Acts 10:43; Romans 3:21
- 23 Isaiah 53:1–12; Luke 24:26; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5; Hebrews 2:10
- 24 1 Corinthians 2:13–14; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:13; 1 Corinthians 4:10; Mark 3:21
- 25 Acts 23:26; Titus 1:9; Titus 2:7–8; John 8:49; Luke 1:3
- 26 Acts 26:2–3; Acts 2:1–12; Acts 5:18–42; Isaiah 30:20; Acts 4:16–21
- 27 Acts 26:22–23
- 28 Acts 11:26; Matthew 10:18; Acts 26:29; Mark 10:17–22; Acts 24:25
- 29 Ephesians 6:20; Colossians 1:28; Romans 10:1; Acts 21:33; John 5:34
- 30 Acts 28:22; Acts 18:15; Acts 25:23
- 31 Acts 23:29; Acts 23:9; Acts 28:18; Luke 23:4; Acts 25:25
- 32 Acts 28:18; Acts 25:11–12; Acts 25:25
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
See how again also they pass sentence in his favor, and after having said, "Thou art beside thyself," (v. 24) they acquit him, as undeserving not only of death, but also of bonds, and indeed would have released him entirely, if he had not appealed to Cæsar. But this was done providentially, that he should also depart with bonds.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
… or else, if they do receive all these, they must necessarily admit also that testimony concerning Paul, when he (Luke) tells us that the Lord spoke at first to him from heaven: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? I am Jesus Christ, whom thou persecutest;" and then to Ananias, saying regarding him: "Go thy way; for he is a chosen …