Acts 26

1 And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defence:2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before thee this day touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews:3 especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.4 My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own nation and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;5 having knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify, that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.6 And now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;7 unto which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king!8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?9 I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.10 And this I also did in Jerusalem: and 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 And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.12 Whereupon as 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, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me.14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the goad.15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.16 But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee;17 delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.19 Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:20 but declared both to them of Damascus first and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.21 For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come;23 how that the Christ must suffer, and how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.24 And as he thus made his defense, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning is turning thee mad.25 But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness.26 For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath not been done in a corner.27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.28 And Agrippa said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.29 And Paul said, I would to God, that whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except these bonds.30 And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:31 and when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.32 And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

Acts 26

Paul Offers His Defense

1 So Agrippas said to Paul, “You have permissiont to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his handt and began his defense:t
2 “Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa,s I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,3 because you are especiallyt familiar with all the customs and controversial issuest of the Jews. Therefore I askt you to listen to me patiently.4 Now all the Jews know the way I livedt from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own peoplet and in Jerusalem.s5 They know,t because they have knownt me from time past,t if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest partyt of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.s6 And now I stand here on trialt because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors,t7 a promiset that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve Godt night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me,t Your Majesty!t8 Why do you peoplet thinkt it is unbelievablet thatt God raises the dead?9 Of course,t I myself was convincedt that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I receivedt from the chief priests, but I also cast my votet against them when they were sentenced to death.t

11 I punishedt them often in all the synagoguess and tried to forcet them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enragedt at them, I went to persecutet them even in foreign cities.
12 “While doing this very thing,t as I was goingt to Damascus with authority and complete powert from the chief priests,13 about noon along the road, Your Majesty,t I saw a light from heaven,t brighter than the sun, shining everywhere aroundt me and those traveling with me.14 When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,t ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourselft by kicking against the goads.’ts15 So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord replied,t ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.16 But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason, to designate you in advancet as a servant and witnesss to the thingst you have seens and to the things in which I will appear to you.17 I will rescuet you from your own peoplet and from the Gentiles, to whomt I am sending you

18 to open their eyes so that they turns from darkness to light and from the powert of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a sharet among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 “Therefore, King Agrippa,s I was not disobedients to the heavenlyt vision,20 but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea,t and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God,s performing deeds consistent witht repentance.21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courtst and were trying to kill me.22 I have experiencedt help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing exceptt what the prophets and Moses saids was going to happen:

23 thatt the Christts was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both to our peoplet and to the Gentiles.”s
24 As Pault was saying these things in his defense, Festuss exclaimed loudly, “You have lost your mind,ts Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!”25 But Paul replied,t “I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus,s but am speakingt true and rationalt words.26 For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freelyt to him,t because I cannot believet that any of these things has escaped his notice,t for this was not done in a corner.t27 Do you believe the prophets,s King Agrippa?s I know that you believe.”28 Agrippas said to Paul, “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?”ts

29 Paul replied, “I pray to God that whether in a short or a long timet not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.”s
30 So the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them,31 and as they were leaving they said to one another,t “This man is not doing anything deservingts death or imprisonment.”

32 Agrippas said to Festus,s “This man could have been releasedt if he had not appealed to Caesar.”ts