aAgrippa said
to Paul
, "You are permitted
to speak
for yourself
." Then
Paul
stretched
out his hand
and proceeded to make
his defense
:
"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
;
1especially because you are an expert
in all
acustoms
and 2questions
among
the Jews
; therefore
I beg
you to listen
to me patiently
.
"So then
, all
Jews
know
amy manner
of life
from my youth
up, which from the beginning
was spent
among
my own nation
and at Jerusalem
;
since they have known about me for a long
time
, if
they are willing
to testify
, that I lived
as a aPharisee
baccording
to the strictest
csect
of our religion
.
"And now I am 1standing
trial
afor the hope
of bthe promise
made
by God
to our fathers
;
the promise ato which our twelve
tribes
hope
to attain
, as they earnestly
serve
God night
and day
. And for this
bhope
, O King
, I am being caccused
by Jews
.
"Why is it considered
incredible
among
you people aif
God
does raise
the dead
?
"So then
, aI thought
to myself
that I had
to do
many
things
hostile
to bthe name
of Jesus
of Nazareth
.
"And this is 1just
what
I adid
in Jerusalem
; not only
did I lock
up many
of the 2saints
in prisons
, having breceived
authority
from the chief
priests
, but also
when they were being put
to death
I ccast
my vote
against
them.
"And aas I punished them often
in all
the synagogues
, I tried to force
them to blaspheme
; and being bfuriously
enraged
at them, I kept pursuing
them ceven
to 1foreign
cities
.
" 1While so
engaged aas I was journeying
to Damascus
with the authority
and commission
of the chief
priests
,
at midday, O King
, I saw
on the way
a light
from heaven
, 1brighter
than
the sun
, shining
all around
me and those
who were journeying
with me.
"And when we had aall fallen
to the ground
, I heard
a voice
saying
to me in the 1 bHebrew
dialect
, `Saul
, Saul
, why
are you persecuting
Me? 2It is hard
for you to kick
against
the goads
.'
"And I said, `Who
are You, Lord
?' And the Lord
said
, `I am
Jesus
whom
you are persecuting
.
`But get up and astand
on your feet
; for this
purpose I have appeared
to you, to bappoint
you a cminister
and da witness
not only
to the things which
you have 1seen
, but also
to the things in which
I will appear
to you;
arescuing you bfrom the Jewish people
and from the Gentiles
, to whom
I am sending
you,
to aopen their eyes
so that they may turn
from bdarkness
to light
and from the dominion
of cSatan
to God
, that they may receive
dforgiveness
of sins
and an einheritance
among
those
who have been sanctified
by ffaith
in Me.'
"So, King
Agrippa
, I did not prove
disobedient
to the heavenly
vision
,
but kept declaring both
ato those
of Damascus
first
, and also bat Jerusalem
and then throughout all
the region
of Judea
, and even cto the Gentiles
, that they should drepent
and turn
to God
, performing
deeds
eappropriate
to repentance
.
"For this reason
some Jews
aseized
me in the temple
and tried
bto put
me to death
.
"So, having obtained
help
from God
, I stand
to this
day
atestifying
both
to small
and great
, stating
nothing
but what
bthe Prophets
and Moses
said
was going
to take
place
;
1 athat 2the Christ was 3to suffer
, and 1that bby reason
of His resurrection
from the dead
He would
be the first
to proclaim
clight
both
to the Jewish people
and to the Gentiles
."
While Paul was saying this
in his defense
, Festus
*said
in a loud
voice
, "Paul
, you are out of your mind
! 1Your great
alearning
is 2driving
you mad
."
But Paul *said
, "I am
not out of my mind
, amost
excellent
Festus
, but I utter
words
1of sober
truth
.
"For the king 1 aknows
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 2corner
.
"King Agrippa
, do you believe
the Prophets
? I know
that you 1do
."
Agrippa replied to Paul
, " 1In a short
time
you 2will persuade
me to 3become
a aChristian
."
And Paul said, " 1I would
wish
to God
, that whether
2in 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
achains
."
aThe king stood
up and the governor
and Bernice
, and those
who were sitting
with them,
and when they had gone aside
, they began talking
to one
another
, saying
, " aThis
man
is not doing
anything
worthy
of death
or
1imprisonment
."
And Agrippa said
to Festus
, "This
man
might
have been
aset
free
if
he had not bappealed
to Caesar
."