New International Version NIV
Hebrew Names Version HNV
1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense:
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Agrippa said to Sha'ul, "You may speak for yourself." Then Sha'ul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.
2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,
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"I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you this day concerning all the things whereof I am accused by the Yehudim,
3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
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especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Yehudim. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem.
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"Indeed, all the Yehudim know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Yerushalayim;
5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee.
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having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Parush.
6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today.
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Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.
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which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Yehudim, King Agrippa!
8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
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Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?
9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
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"I myself most assuredly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Yeshua of Natzeret.
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 in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.
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This I also did in Yerushalayim. I both shut up many of the holy ones in prisons, having received authority from the chief Kohanim, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.
11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
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Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
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"Whereupon as I journeyed to Dammesek with the authority and commission from the chief Kohanim,
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.
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at noon, O King, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.
14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
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When we had all fallen to the eretz, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Sha'ul, Sha'ul, 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.
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"I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' "He said, 'I am Yeshua, whom you persecute.
16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. 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.
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But arise, and stand on your feet, for to this end have I appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you;
17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
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delivering you from the people, and from the Goyim, to whom I send you,
18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
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to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Hasatan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
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"Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.
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but declared first to them of Dammesek, at Yerushalayim, and throughout all the country of Yehudah, and also to the Goyim, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21 That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
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For this reason the Yehudim seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me.
22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—
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Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moshe did say should come,
23 that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
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how the Messiah must suffer, and how he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to these people and to the Goyim."
24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”
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As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Sha'ul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!"
25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.
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But he said, "I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.
26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.
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For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
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King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe."
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
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Agrippa said to Sha'ul, "With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Messianic?"
29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
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Sha'ul said, "I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these bonds."
30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them.
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The king rose up with the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”
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When they had withdrawn, they spoke one to another, saying, "This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds."
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
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Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.