Acts 26

Paul’s Defense before Agrippa

11NowG1161 AgrippaG67 saidG5346 to PaulG3972, “You are permittedG2010 to speakG3004 for yourselfG4572.” ThenG5119 PaulG3972 extendedG1614 his handG5495 and proceeded to makeG626 his defenseG626:

2“RegardingG4012 allG3956 the thingsG3956 of whichG3739 I am accusedG1458 by the JewsG2453, KingG935 AgrippaG67, I considerG2233 myselfG1683 fortunateG3107 that I amG3195 aboutG3195 toG3195 makeG626 my defenseG626 beforeG1909 you todayG4594, 32especiallyG3122 because you are an expertG1109 in allG3956 3customsG1485 and 4questionsG2213 amongG2596 the JewsG2453; thereforeG1352 I begG1189 you to listenG191 to me patientlyG3116.

4“SoG3767 thenG3767, allG3956 JewsG2453 knowG3609 5my wayG981 ofG981 lifeG981 sinceG1537 my youthG3503, which from the beginningG746 was spentG1096 amongG1722 my own nationG1484 and in JerusalemG2414, 5since they have knownG4267 about me for a longG509 timeG509, ifG1437 they are willingG2309 to testifyG3140, that I livedG2198 as a 6PhariseeG5330 7accordingG2596 to the strictestG198 8sectG139 of our religionG2356. 6And nowG3568 I am standingG2476 trialG2919 9for the hopeG1680 of 10the promiseG1860 madeG1096 by GodG2316 to our fathersG3962; 7the promise 11to whichG3739 our twelveG1429 tribesG1429 hopeG1679 to attainG2658, as they earnestlyG1722G1616 serveG3000 God nightG3571 and dayG2250. For thisG3739 12hopeG1680, O kingG935, I am being 13accusedG1458 by JewsG2453. 8WhyG5101 is it consideredG2919 incredibleG571 amongG3844 you people 14ifG1487 GodG2316 raisesG1453 the deadG3498?

9“SoG3767 15I thoughtG1380 to myselfG1683 that I hadG1163 to actG4238 in strongG4183 oppositionG1727 to 16the nameG3686 of JesusG2424 17of NazarethG3480. 10And thisG3739 is 18justG2532 whatG3739 I 19didG4160 in JerusalemG2414; notG2532G5037 onlyG2532G5037 did I lockG2623 upG2623 manyG4183 of the 20saintsG40 in prisonsG5438, after 21receivingG2983 authorityG1849 from the chiefG749 priestsG749, butG5037 I alsoG5037 22castG2702 my voteG5586 againstG2702 them when they were being putG337 toG337 deathG337. 11And 23as I punishedG5097 them oftenG4178 in allG3956 the synagoguesG4864, I tried to forceG315 them to blasphemeG987; and since I was 24extremelyG4057 enragedG1693 atG1693 them, I kept pursuingG1377 them 25evenG2193G2532 to 26foreignG1854 citiesG4172.

12“27WhileG1722 soG3739 engaged, 28as I was journeyingG4198 to DamascusG1154 with the authorityG1849 and commissionG2011 of the chiefG749 priestsG749, 13at middayG2250G3319, O kingG935, I sawG3708 on the wayG3598 a lightG5457 from heavenG3771, 29brighterG2987 thanG5228 the sunG2246, shiningG4034 aroundG4034 me and thoseG3588 who were journeyingG4198 with me. 14And when we had 30allG3956 fallenG2667 to the groundG1093, I heardG191 a voiceG5456 sayingG3004 to me in the 3132HebrewG1446 dialectG1258, ‘SaulG4549, SaulG4549, whyG5101 are you persecutingG1377 Me? 33It is hardG4642 for you to kickG2979 againstG4314 the goadsG2759.’ 15And I saidG3004, ‘WhoG5101 are You, LordG2962?’ And the LordG2962 saidG3004, ‘I amG1510 JesusG2424 whomG3739 you are persecutingG1377. 16But getG450 upG450 and 34standG2476 on your feetG4228; for thisG3778 purpose I have appearedG3708 to you, to 35appointG4400 you as a 36servantG5257 and 37a witnessG3144 not onlyG5037 to the things in whichG3739 you have seenG3708 Me, but alsoG5037 to the things in whichG3739 I will appearG3708 to you, 1738rescuingG1807 you 39from the Jewish peopleG2992 and from the GentilesG1484, to whomG3739 I am sendingG649 you, 18to 40openG455 their eyesG3788 so that they may turnG1994 from 41darknessG4655 to lightG5457, and from the 42powerG1849 of 43SatanG4567 to GodG2316, that they may receiveG2983 44forgivenessG859 of sinsG266 and an 45inheritanceG2819 amongG1722 thoseG3588 who have been sanctifiedG37 by 46faithG4102 in Me.’

19“ForG3606 thatG3606 reasonG3606, KingG935 AgrippaG67, I did not proveG1096 disobedientG545 to the heavenlyG3770 visionG3701, 20but continually proclaimedG518 47to thoseG3588 in DamascusG1154 firstG4413, and 48in JerusalemG2414, and then allG3956 the regionG5561 of JudeaG2449, and even 49to the GentilesG1484, that they are to 50repentG3340 and turnG1994 to GodG2316, performingG4238 deedsG2041 51consistentG514 with repentanceG3341. 21For theseG3778 reasonsG1752 some JewsG2453 52seizedG4815 me in the templeG2413 and triedG3987 53to murderG1315 me. 22SoG3767, having obtainedG5177 helpG1947 from GodG2316, I standG2476 to thisG3778 dayG2250 54testifyingG3143 bothG5037 to smallG3398 and greatG3173, statingG3004 nothingG3762 but whatG3739 55the ProphetsG4396 and MosesG3475 saidG2980 wasG3195 goingG3195 toG3195 takeG1096 placeG1096, 23as to 56whetherG1487 the 57ChristG5547 was 58to sufferG3805, and whetherG1487, as 59firstG4413 from the resurrectionG386 of the deadG3498, He wouldG3195 proclaimG2605 60lightG5457 bothG5037 to the Jewish peopleG2992 and to the GentilesG1484.”

24While 61Paul was statingG626 theseG3778 thingsG3778 inG626 his defenseG626, FestusG5347 saidG5346 in a loudG3173 voiceG5456, “PaulG3972, you areG3105 outG3105 ofG3105 your mindG3105! 62Your greatG4183 63learningG1121 is 64drivingG4062 you insaneG3130.” 25But PaulG3972 saidG5346, “I amG3105 not insaneG3105, 65mostG2903 excellentG2903 FestusG5347; onG235 theG235 contraryG235, I am speakingG669 outG669 with 66truthfulG225 and rationalG4997 wordsG4487. 26For the kingG935 6768knowsG1987 aboutG4012 theseG3778 matters, and I alsoG2532 speakG2980 to him with confidenceG3955, sinceG1063 I am persuadedG3982 that noneG3756G3762 of theseG3778 thingsG3778 escapeG2990 his noticeG2990; for thisG3778 has not beenG1510 doneG4238 in a 69cornerG1137. 27KingG935 AgrippaG67, do you believeG4100 the ProphetsG4396? I knowG3609 that you believeG4100.” 28AgrippaG67 replied to PaulG3972, “70In a shortG3641 time you are going to persuadeG3982 me to 71makeG4160 a 72ChristianG5546 of myself.” 29And PaulG3972 said, “I wouldG2172 73wishG2172 to GodG2316 that evenG2532 74in a shortG3641 orG2532 longG3173 time not onlyG3440 you, but alsoG2532 allG3956 who hearG191 me thisG4594 dayG4594 would becomeG1096 suchG5108 as I myselfG1473 amG1510, exceptG3924 for theseG3778 75chainsG1199.”

3076The kingG935 stoodG450 upG450 and the governorG2232 and BerniceG959, and thoseG3588 who were sittingG4775 with them, 31and when they had goneG402 outG402, they began talkingG2980 to oneG240 anotherG240, sayingG3004, “77ThisG3778 manG444 is not doingG4238 anythingG3762 deservingG514 deathG2288 orG2228 78imprisonmentG1199.” 32And AgrippaG67 saidG5346 to FestusG5347, “ThisG3778 manG444 couldG1410 have beenG1096 79setG630 freeG630 ifG1487 he had not 80appealedG1941 toG1941 CaesarG2541.”