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Acts 26:1 |
Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense: |
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Acts 26:2 |
"In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; |
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Acts 26:3 |
especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. |
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Acts 26:4 |
"So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; |
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Acts 26:5 |
since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. |
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Acts 26:6 |
"And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; |
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Acts 26:7 |
the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. |
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Acts 26:8 |
"Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead? |
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Acts 26:9 |
"So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. |
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Acts 26:10 |
"And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. |
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Acts 26:11 |
"And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities. |
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Acts 26:12 |
"While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, |
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Acts 26:13 |
at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. |
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Acts 26:14 |
"And when we had all fallen 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.' |
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Acts 26:15 |
"And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. |
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Acts 26:16 |
'But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; |
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Acts 26:17 |
rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, |
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Acts 26:18 |
to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' |
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Acts 26:19 |
"So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, |
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Acts 26:20 |
but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. |
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Acts 26:21 |
"For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death. |
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Acts 26:22 |
"So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; |
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Acts 26:23 |
that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles." |
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Acts 26:24 |
While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus *said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad." |
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Acts 26:25 |
But Paul *said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. |
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Acts 26:26 |
"For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. |
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Acts 26:27 |
"King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do." |
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Acts 26:28 |
Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian." |
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Acts 26:29 |
And Paul said, "I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains." |
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Acts 26:30 |
The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, |
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Acts 26:31 |
and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, "This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment." |
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Acts 26:32 |
And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." |
