Acts 26
Paul's Defense Before Agrippa
1 So l Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself" Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
2 "I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today m against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the n customs and o controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 p "My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among q my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that r according to the strictest s party of our t religion I have lived as u a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in v the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 w to which x our twelve tribes hope to y attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope z I am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought a incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
9 b "I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of c Jesus of Nazareth. 10 d And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority e from the chief priests, but f when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And g I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them h blaspheme, and i in raging fury against them I j persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
12 "In this connection k I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me l in the Hebrew language, 1 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads' 15 And I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and m stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, n to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 o delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles - p to whom I q am sending you 18 r to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from s the power of Satan to God, that they may receive t forgiveness of sins and u a place among those who are sanctified v by faith in me'
19 "Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to w the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first x to those in Damascus, y then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also z to the Gentiles, that they should a repent and b turn to God, performing deeds c in keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason d the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 e To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so f I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what g the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 h that the Christ i must suffer and that, j by being the first k to rise from the dead, l he would proclaim m light both to our people and to the Gentiles"
24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, n you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind" 25 But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, o most excellent Festus, but I am speaking p true and q rational words. 26 For r the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe" 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be s a Christian?" 2 29 And Paul said, "Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day t might become such as I am - except for u these chains"
30 Then the king rose, and v the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, w "This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment" 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, x "This man could have been set y free if he had not appealed z to Caesar"