| Acts 26:1 |
And Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: |
| Acts 26:2 |
Concerning all the things which I am accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself blessed that I am to make my defense before you today, |
| Acts 26:3 |
Especially since you are familiar with all the customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg [you] to listen to me patiently. |
| Acts 26:4 |
The manner of my life from youth, which from the beginning was among my [own] nation and in Jerusalem, all the Jews know, |
| Acts 26:5 |
Since they have previously known about me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee. |
| Acts 26:6 |
And now I stand [here] being judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, |
| Acts 26:7 |
To which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king. |
| Acts 26:8 |
Why is it judged incredible among you if God raises the dead? |
| Acts 26:9 |
Well then, I thought to myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene, |
| Acts 26:10 |
Which also I did in Jerusalem; and I both shut up many of the saints in prison when I had received authority from the chief priests and cast a vote against them when they were being done away with. |
| Acts 26:11 |
And in all the synagogues I punished them often and tried to compel [them] to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged at them, I persecuted [them] even as far as foreign cities. |
| Acts 26:12 |
[Engaged] in these things, I journeyed to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests. |
| Acts 26:13 |
At midday, on the way, I saw, O king, a light from heaven beyond the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. |
| Acts 26:14 |
And when we all fell to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? [It is] hard for you to kick against the goads. |
| Acts 26:15 |
And I said, Who are You, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. |
| Acts 26:16 |
But rise up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this [purpose,] to appoint you as a minister and a witness both of the things in which you have seen Me and of the things in which I will appear to you; |
| Acts 26:17 |
Delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, |
| Acts 26:18 |
To open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light and [from] the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. |
| Acts 26:19 |
Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, |
| Acts 26:20 |
But declared both to those in Damascus first and in Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea and to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. |
| Acts 26:21 |
Because of these things [certain] Jews seized me while I was in the temple and tried to slay [me.] |
| Acts 26:22 |
Having therefore obtained the help which is from God, I have stood unto this day, testifying both to small and great, saying nothing apart from the things which both the prophets and Moses have said would take place, |
| Acts 26:23 |
That the Christ would suffer [and] that He, being the first to rise from the dead, would announce light both to the people and to the Gentiles. |
| Acts 26:24 |
And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, You are insane, Paul. Much learning is driving you insane. |
| Acts 26:25 |
But Paul said, I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but I am uttering words of truth and soberness. |
| Acts 26:26 |
For the king knows about these things, to whom also I speak freely, for I am persuaded that none of these things have escaped his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. |
| Acts 26:27 |
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe. |
| Acts 26:28 |
And Agrippa [replied] to Paul, By so little are you trying to persuade me to become a Christian? |
| Acts 26:29 |
And Paul [said,] I would to God that both by little and by much, not only you, but also all those who hear me today might become even such as I am, except for these bonds. |
| Acts 26:30 |
And the king rose up, and the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them; |
| Acts 26:31 |
And when they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, This man is doing nothing worthy of death or of bonds. |
| Acts 26:32 |
And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been released, had he not appealed to Caesar. |