Acts 26:1-18

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.’