26
1 Agrippa
said to Paul, “You
may speak for
yourself.”
Then Paul
stretched out his
hand, and made
his defense.
2 “I
think myself happy,
King Agrippa, that I
am to make
my defense before
you today
concerning all the
things that I
am accused by
the Jews,
3 especially
because you are
expert in all
customs and
questions which
are among the
Jews. Therefore I
beg you to hear
me patiently.
4 “Indeed,
all the Jews
know my way
of life from my
youth up, which
was from
the beginning among
my own nation and
at Jerusalem;
5 having
known me from
the first, if
they are willing
to testify, that
after the strictest sect
of our religion
I lived a
Pharisee.
6 Now
I stand here
to be judged
for the hope
of the promise
made by God
to our fathers,
7 which
our twelve tribes,
earnestly serving
night and day,
hope to attain.
Concerning this
hope I am
accused by the
Jews, King Agrippa!
8 Why
is it
judged incredible with
you if God
does raise the
dead?
9 “I
myself most
certainly thought
that I ought
to do many
things contrary to
the name of
Jesus of Nazareth.
10 I
also did this
in Jerusalem. I
both shut up
many of the saints
in prisons, having
received authority
from the
chief priests; and
when they were
put to death I
gave my vote
against them.
11 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 “Whereupon
as I traveled to
Damascus with the
authority and
commission from
the chief priests,
13 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 When
we had all
fallen to the
earth, I heard a
voice saying to
me in the
Hebrew language,
‘Saul, Saul,
why are you
persecuting me?
It is hard
for you to
kick against the
goads.’
15 “I
said, ‘Who are
you, Lord?’
“He said,
‘I am Jesus,
whom you are
persecuting.
16 But arise, and
stand on your
feet, for I
have appeared to
you for this
purpose: 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 delivering you
from the people
and from the
Gentiles, to
whom I send you,
18 to open their
eyes, that they
may turn from
darkness to
light and from
the power of
Satan to God,
that they may
receive remission of sins
and an
inheritance among
those who
are sanctified by
faith in
me.’
19 “Therefore,
King Agrippa, I
was not disobedient
to the heavenly
vision,
20 but declared
first to them
of Damascus, at
Jerusalem, and
throughout all the
country of Judea,
and also to
the Gentiles, that
they should repent
and turn to
God, doing
works worthy of
repentance.
21 For
this reason the
Jews seized me
in the temple
and tried to
kill me.
22 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 Moses said
would happen,
23 how the
Christ must suffer,
and how, by
the resurrection of
the dead, he
would be first
to proclaim light
both to these
people and to
the Gentiles.”
24 As
he thus made
his defense, Festus
said with a
loud voice, “Paul,
you are crazy!
Your great
learning is
driving you
insane!”
25 But
he said, “I
am not crazy, most
excellent Festus,
but boldly declare words
of truth and reasonableness.
26 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
that you believe.”
28 Agrippa
said to Paul, “With
a little persuasion
are you trying to
make me a
Christian?”
29 Paul
said, “I pray
to God, that
whether with
little or with
much, not only
you, but also
all that hear me
today, might
become such as
I am, except
for these bonds.”
30 The
king rose up
with the governor
and Bernice, and
those who sat
with them.
31 When
they had withdrawn,
they spoke to
one another,
saying, “This man
does nothing worthy
of death or
of bonds.”
32 Agrippa
said to Festus, “This
man might have
been set free if
he had not
appealed to
Caesar.”