Acts · Catholic Public Domain Version
Acts 26 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
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- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 Yet truly, Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted for you to speak for yourself.” Then Paul, extending his hand, began to offer his defense.
1 Ἀγρίππας δὲ πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον ἔφη· ἐπιτρέπεταί σοι ὑπὲρ σεαυτοῦ λέγειν. τότε ὁ Παῦλος ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἀπελογεῖτο·
2 “I consider myself blessed, O king Agrippa, that I am to give my defense today before you, about everything of which I am accused by the Jews,
2 περὶ πάντων ὧν ἐγκαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, ἥγημαι ἐμαυτὸν μακάριον ἐπὶ σοῦ μέλλων ἀπολογεῖσθαι σήμερον,
3 especially since you know everything that pertains to the Jews, both customs and questions. Because of this, I beg you 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 And certainly, all the Jews know about my life from my youth, which had its beginning among my own people 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 knew me well from the beginning, (if they would be willing to offer testimony) for I lived according to the most determined sect of our religion: as a Pharisee.
5 προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν, ἐὰν θέλωσι μαρτυρεῖν, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην αἵρεσιν τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας ἔζησα Φαρισαῖος.
6 And now, it is in the hope of the Promise which was made by God to our fathers that I stand subject to judgment.
6 καὶ νῦν ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι τῆς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἐπαγγελίας γενομένης ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἕστηκα κρινόμενος,
7 It is the Promise that our twelve tribes, worshiping night and day, hope to see. About this hope, O king, 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 should it be judged so unbelievable with you all that God might raise the dead?
8 τί ἄπιστον κρίνεται παρ᾽ ὑμῖν εἰ ὁ Θεὸς νεκροὺς ἐγείρει;
9 And certainly, I myself formerly considered that I ought to act in many ways which are contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.
9 ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἔδοξα ἐμαυτῷ πρὸς τὸ ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου δεῖν πολλὰ ἐναντία πρᾶξαι·
10 This is also how I acted at Jerusalem. And so, I enclosed many holy persons in prison, having received authority from the leaders of the priests. And when they were to be killed, I brought the sentence.
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 And in every synagogue, frequently while punishing them, I compelled them to blaspheme. And being all the more maddened against them, I persecuted them, even to foreign cities.
11 καὶ κατὰ πάσας τὰς συναγωγὰς πολλάκις τιμωρῶν αὐτοὺς ἠνάγκαζον βλασφημεῖν, περισσῶς τε ἐμμαινόμενος αὐτοῖς ἐδίωκον ἕως καὶ εἰς τὰς ἔξω πόλεις.
12 Thereafter, as I was going to Damascus, with authority and permission from the high priest,
12 Ἐν οἷς [καὶ] πορευόμενος εἰς τὴν Δαμασκὸν μετ᾽ ἐξουσίας καὶ ἐπιτροπῆς τῆς παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων,
13 at midday, O king, I and those who were also with me, saw along the way a light from heaven shining around me with a splendor greater than that of the sun.
13 ἡμέρας μέσης κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν εἶδον, βασιλεῦ, οὐρανόθεν ὑπὲρ τὴν λαμπρότητα τοῦ ἡλίου περιλάμψαν με φῶς καὶ τοὺς σὺν ἐμοὶ πορευομένους·
14 And when we had all fallen down to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew language: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.’
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 Then I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
15 ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπον· τίς εἶ, Κύριε; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὃν σὺ διώκεις.
16 But rise up and stand on your feet. For I appeared to you for this reason: so that I may establish you as a minister and a witness concerning the things that you have seen, and concerning the things that I will show to 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 rescuing you from the people and the nations to which I am now sending you,
17 ἐξαιρούμενός σε ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν, εἰς οὓς ἐγώ σε ἀποστέλλω
18 in order to open their eyes, so that they may be converted from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive the remission of sins and a place among the saints, through the faith that is 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 From then on, O king Agrippa, I was not unbelieving to the heavenly vision.
19 Ὅθεν, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, οὐκ ἐγενόμην ἀπειθὴς τῇ οὐρανίῳ ὀπτασίᾳ,
20 But I preached, first to those who are at Damascus and at Jerusalem, and then to the entire region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, so that they would repent and convert to God, doing the works that are worthy of 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 It was for this reason that the Jews, having apprehended me when I was in the temple, attempted to kill me.
21 ἕνεκα τούτων με οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι συλλαβόμενοι ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἐπειρῶντο διαχειρίσασθαι.
22 But having been aided by the help of God, even to this day, I stand witnessing to the small and the great, saying nothing beyond what the Prophets and Moses have said would be in the future:
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 that he would be the first from the resurrection of the dead, and that he would bring light to the people and to the nations.”
23 εἰ παθητὸς ὁ Χριστός, εἰ πρῶτος ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν φῶς μέλλει καταγγέλλειν τῷ λαῷ καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσι.
24 While he was speaking these things and presenting his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: “Paul, you are insane! Too much studying has turned you to insanity.”
24 Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀπολογουμένου ὁ Φῆστος μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ ἔφη· μαίνῃ, Παῦλε· τὰ πολλά σε γράμματα εἰς μανίαν περιτρέπει.
25 And Paul said: “I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but rather 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 things. To him also, I am speaking with constancy. For I think that none of these things are unknown to him. And neither were these things 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 Do you believe the Prophets, O king Agrippa? I know that you believe.”
27 πιστεύεις, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, τοῖς προφήταις; οἶδα ὅτι πιστεύεις.
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “To some extent, you persuade me to become a Christian.”
28 ὁ δὲ Ἀγρίππας πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον ἔφη· ἐν ὀλίγῳ με πείθεις Χριστιανὸν γενέσθαι.
29 And Paul said, “I hope to God that, both to a small extent and to a great extent, not only you, but also all those who hear me this day will become just as I also 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 And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them.
30 Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ ἀνέστη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ ἡγεμὼν ἥ τε Βερνίκη καὶ οἱ συγκαθήμενοι αὐτοῖς,
31 And when they had withdrawn, they were speaking among themselves, saying, “This man has done nothing worthy of death, nor of imprisonment.”
31 καὶ ἀναχωρήσαντες ἐλάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγοντες ὅτι οὐδὲν θανάτου ἄξιον ἢ δεσμῶν πράσσει ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος.
32 Then 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 …