Acts 26:2-29

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, 31especiallyG3122 because you are an expertG1109 in allG3956 2customsG1485 and 3questionsG2213 amongG2596 the JewsG2453; thereforeG1352 I begG1189 you to listenG191 to me patientlyG3116.

4“SoG3767 thenG3767, allG3956 JewsG2453 knowG3609 4my 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 5PhariseeG5330 6accordingG2596 to the strictestG198 7sectG139 of our religionG2356. 6And nowG3568 I am standingG2476 trialG2919 8for the hopeG1680 of 9the promiseG1860 madeG1096 by GodG2316 to our fathersG3962; 7the promise 10to whichG3739 our twelveG1429 tribesG1429 hopeG1679 to attainG2658, as they earnestlyG1722G1616 serveG3000 God nightG3571 and dayG2250. For thisG3739 11hopeG1680, O kingG935, I am being 12accusedG1458 by JewsG2453. 8WhyG5101 is it consideredG2919 incredibleG571 amongG3844 you people 13ifG1487 GodG2316 raisesG1453 the deadG3498?

9“SoG3767 14I thoughtG1380 to myselfG1683 that I hadG1163 to actG4238 in strongG4183 oppositionG1727 to 15the nameG3686 of JesusG2424 16of NazarethG3480. 10And thisG3739 is 17justG2532 whatG3739 I 18didG4160 in JerusalemG2414; notG2532G5037 onlyG2532G5037 did I lockG2623 upG2623 manyG4183 of the 19saintsG40 in prisonsG5438, after 20receivingG2983 authorityG1849 from the chiefG749 priestsG749, butG5037 I alsoG5037 21castG2702 my voteG5586 againstG2702 them when they were being putG337 toG337 deathG337. 11And 22as I punishedG5097 them oftenG4178 in allG3956 the synagoguesG4864, I tried to forceG315 them to blasphemeG987; and since I was 23extremelyG4057 enragedG1693 atG1693 them, I kept pursuingG1377 them 24evenG2193G2532 to 25foreignG1854 citiesG4172.

12“26WhileG1722 soG3739 engaged, 27as 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, 28brighterG2987 thanG5228 the sunG2246, shiningG4034 aroundG4034 me and thoseG3588 who were journeyingG4198 with me. 14And when we had 29allG3956 fallenG2667 to the groundG1093, I heardG191 a voiceG5456 sayingG3004 to me in the 3031HebrewG1446 dialectG1258, ‘SaulG4549, SaulG4549, whyG5101 are you persecutingG1377 Me? 32It 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 33standG2476 on your feetG4228; for thisG3778 purpose I have appearedG3708 to you, to 34appointG4400 you as a 35servantG5257 and 36a witnessG3144 not onlyG5037 to the things in whichG3739 you have seenG3708 Me, but alsoG5037 to the things in whichG3739 I will appearG3708 to you, 1737rescuingG1807 you 38from the Jewish peopleG2992 and from the GentilesG1484, to whomG3739 I am sendingG649 you, 18to 39openG455 their eyesG3788 so that they may turnG1994 from 40darknessG4655 to lightG5457, and from the 41powerG1849 of 42SatanG4567 to GodG2316, that they may receiveG2983 43forgivenessG859 of sinsG266 and an 44inheritanceG2819 amongG1722 thoseG3588 who have been sanctifiedG37 by 45faithG4102 in Me.’

19“ForG3606 thatG3606 reasonG3606, KingG935 AgrippaG67, I did not proveG1096 disobedientG545 to the heavenlyG3770 visionG3701, 20but continually proclaimedG518 46to thoseG3588 in DamascusG1154 firstG4413, and 47in JerusalemG2414, and then allG3956 the regionG5561 of JudeaG2449, and even 48to the GentilesG1484, that they are to 49repentG3340 and turnG1994 to GodG2316, performingG4238 deedsG2041 50consistentG514 with repentanceG3341. 21For theseG3778 reasonsG1752 some JewsG2453 51seizedG4815 me in the templeG2413 and triedG3987 52to murderG1315 me. 22SoG3767, having obtainedG5177 helpG1947 from GodG2316, I standG2476 to thisG3778 dayG2250 53testifyingG3143 bothG5037 to smallG3398 and greatG3173, statingG3004 nothingG3762 but whatG3739 54the ProphetsG4396 and MosesG3475 saidG2980 wasG3195 goingG3195 toG3195 takeG1096 placeG1096, 23as to 55whetherG1487 the 56ChristG5547 was 57to sufferG3805, and whetherG1487, as 58firstG4413 from the resurrectionG386 of the deadG3498, He wouldG3195 proclaimG2605 59lightG5457 bothG5037 to the Jewish peopleG2992 and to the GentilesG1484.”

24While 60Paul was statingG626 theseG3778 thingsG3778 inG626 his defenseG626, FestusG5347 saidG5346 in a loudG3173 voiceG5456, “PaulG3972, you areG3105 outG3105 ofG3105 your mindG3105! 61Your greatG4183 62learningG1121 is 63drivingG4062 you insaneG3130.” 25But PaulG3972 saidG5346, “I amG3105 not insaneG3105, 64mostG2903 excellentG2903 FestusG5347; onG235 theG235 contraryG235, I am speakingG669 outG669 with 65truthfulG225 and rationalG4997 wordsG4487. 26For the kingG935 6667knowsG1987 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 68cornerG1137. 27KingG935 AgrippaG67, do you believeG4100 the ProphetsG4396? I knowG3609 that you believeG4100.” 28AgrippaG67 replied to PaulG3972, “69In a shortG3641 time you are going to persuadeG3982 me to 70makeG4160 a 71ChristianG5546 of myself.” 29And PaulG3972 said, “I wouldG2172 72wishG2172 to GodG2316 that evenG2532 73in 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 74chainsG1199.”