Acts 26

Paul’s Defense before Agrippa

11Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense:

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; 32especially because you are an expert in all 3customs and 4questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4“So then, all Jews know 5my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; 5since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a 6Pharisee 7according to the strictest 8sect of our religion. 6And now I am 9standing trial 10for the hope of 11the promise made by God to our fathers; 7the promise 12to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this 13hope, O King, I am being 14accused by Jews. 8Why is it considered incredible among you people 15if God does raise the dead?

9“So then, 16I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to 17the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10And this is 18just what I 19did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the 20saints in prisons, having 21received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I 22cast my vote against them. 11And 23as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being 24furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them 25even to 26foreign cities.

12“27While so engaged 28as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, 29brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. 14And when we had 30all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the 3132Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? 33It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16But get up and 34stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to 35appoint you a 36minister and 37a witness not only to the things which you have 38seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 1739rescuing you 40from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18to 41open their eyes so that they may turn from 42darkness to light and from the dominion of 43Satan to God, that they may receive 44forgiveness of sins and an 45inheritance among those who have been sanctified by 46faith in Me.’

19“So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20but kept declaring both 47to those of Damascus first, and also 48at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even 49to the Gentiles, that they should 50repent and turn to God, performing deeds 51appropriate to repentance. 21For this reason some Jews 52seized me in the temple and tried 53to put me to death. 22So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day 54testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what 55the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 235657that 58the Christ was 59to suffer, and 60that 61by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim 62light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

24While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! 63Your great 64learning is 65driving you mad.” 25But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, 66most excellent Festus, but I utter words 67of sober truth. 26For the king 6869knows 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 70corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you 71do.” 28Agrippa replied to Paul, “72In a short time you 73will persuade me to 74become a 75Christian.” 29And Paul said, “76I would wish to God, that whether 77in 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 78chains.”

3079The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, 31and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, “80This man is not doing anything worthy of death or 81imprisonment.” 32And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been 82set free if he had not 83appealed to Caesar.”