Moffatt(i)
22 "I should like to hear the man myself," said Agrippa to Festus. "You shall hear him to-morrow," said Festus.
23 So next day Agrippa and Bernice proceeded with great pomp to the hall of audience, accompanied by the military commanders and the prominent civilians of the town. Festus then ordered Paul to be brought in.
24 "King Agrippa and all here present," said Festus, "you see before you a man of whom the entire body of the Jews at Jerusalem and also here have complained to me. They loudly insist he ought not to live any longer.
25 I could not find he had done anything that deserved death, so I decided to send him, on his own appeal, to the emperor.
26 Only, I have nothing definite to write to the sovereign about him. So I have brought him up before you all, and especially before you, O king Agrippa, in order that I may have something to write as the result of your cross-examination.
27 For it seems absurd to me to forward a prisoner without notifying the particulars of his charge."
26 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have our permission to speak upon your own behalf." At this Paul stretched out his hand and began his defence.
2 "I consider myself fortunate, king Agrippa, in being able to defend myself to-day before you against all that the Jews charge me with;
3 for you are well acquainted with all Jewish customs and questions. Pray listen to me then with patience.
4 How I lived from my youth up among my own nation and at Jerusalem, all that early career of mine, is known to all the Jews.
5 They know me of old. They know, if they chose to admit it, that as a Pharisee I lived by the principles of the strictest party in our religion.
6 To-day I am standing my trial for hoping in the promise made by God to our fathers,
7 a promise which our twelve tribes hope to gain by serving God earnestly both night and day. And I am actually impeached by Jews for this hope, O king!
8 [Move to the beginning of vs 23] Why should you consider it incredible that God raises the dead,
9 I once believed it my duty indeed actively to oppose the name of Jesus the Nazarene.
10 I did so in Jerusalem. I shut up many of the saints in prison, armed with authority from the high priests; when they were put to death, I voted against them;
11 there was not a synagogue where I did not often punish them and force them to blaspheme; and in my frantic fury I persecuted them even to foreign towns.