Acts 26

¹And Agrippa said to Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand and made his defence:

²I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defence this day before thee concerning all things of which I am accused by the Jews;

³especially as thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions among the Jews. Wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

⁴My manner of life, then, from my youth, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem, all Jews know:

⁵and they know, if they are willing to testify, that from the first, according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.

⁶And now I stand on trial for the hope of the promise made by God to the fathers,

⁷which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God day and night, hope to obtain; concerning which hope, O king, I am accused by Jews.

⁸Why is it judged incredible with you if God raiseth the dead?

⁹I indeed thought with myself that I ought to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.

¹⁰Which I also did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints did I myself shut up in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

¹¹And I punished them often in all the synagogues, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

¹²And as I was going to Damascus on this business, with authority and a commission from the chief priests,

¹³at mid-day, on the road, O king, I saw a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying with me.

¹⁴And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.

¹⁵And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest.

¹⁶But arise and stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared to thee for this purpose, to prepare thee as a minister and a witness both of the things which thou sawest, and of those on account of which I will appear to thee;

¹⁷delivering thee from the people, and from the gentiles, to whom I send thee,

¹⁸to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among the sanctified, by faith in me.

¹⁹Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;

²⁰but first to those in Damascus, and Jerusalem, and to all the country of Judaea, and then to the gentiles, I proclaimed that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

²¹For these causes the Jews seized me in the temple, and attempted to kill me.

²²Having, however, obtained help from God, I continue to this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing except those things which the Prophets and Moses said were to come to pass;

²³that the Christ should suffer, and that, as first of those raised from the dead, he was to proclaim light both to the people and to the gentiles.

²⁴And as he was thus speaking in his defence, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning is making thee mad.

²⁵But he saith, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but utter words of truth and soberness.

²⁶For the king knoweth about these things well; to whom also I speak boldly; for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him: for this was not done in a corner.

²⁷King Agrippa, believest thou the Prophets? I know that thou believest.

²⁸Then Agrippa said to Paul, With little effort thou thinkest to persuade me to become a Christian.

²⁹And Paul said, I would to God, that with little effort or with great, not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, might be made such as I am, except these bonds.

³⁰And the king rose up and the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them;

³¹and going aside they talked with each other, saying, This man is doing nothing deserving death, or bonds.

³²And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar.

Acts 26

¹Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

²I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

³Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

⁴My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

⁵Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

⁶And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

⁷Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

⁸Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

⁹I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

¹⁰Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

¹¹And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

¹²Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

¹³At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

¹⁴And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

¹⁵And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

¹⁶But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

¹⁷Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

¹⁸To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

¹⁹Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

²⁰But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

²¹For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

²²Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

²³That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

²⁴And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

²⁵But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

²⁶For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

²⁷King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

²⁸Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

²⁹And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

³⁰And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

³¹And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

³²Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cesar.