 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul: You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand and answered for himself. 2 I think myself blessed+, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before you, touching upon all the things about which I am accused by the Jews. 3 Especially because I know you to be expert in all of the customs and questions that are debated among the Jews. Therefore I urge you to hear me patiently. 4 From my youth, my life from the very beginning was formed+ among my own nation in Jerusalem. The Jews all know this. 5 They all knew me from the beginning. If they would testify, they would say that I lived following+ the strictest+ sect of our religion as a Pharisee. 6 Yet now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made to our fathers by God. 7 For this promise our twelve tribes earnestly+ served God day and night, hoping to attain+ it. It is because+ of this hope, King Agrippa, that I am accused by the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought incredible that God could raise the dead? 9 I myself truly+ thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And I actually did these things in Jerusalem. Having received authority from the chief priests, I shut up many of the saints in prison. When they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11 I often punished them in all the synagogues and compelled them to blaspheme. Being exceedingly furious+ against them, I persecuted them even to outlying+ cities. 12 But then, as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 At midday, O king, I saw a light from Heaven on the way. It was brighter than the Sun and shining all around+ me. Those traveling+ with me also saw it. 14 When we all fell to the ground+, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew tongue: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the pricks. 15 I said: Who are you, Lord? He said: I am Jesus whom you persecute. 16 But rise and stand up on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of these things that you have seen and of those things in which I will appear to you. 17 I will deliver you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom now I send you, 18 to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority+ of Satan to God so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith that is in me. 19 Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 But I declared+ it first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem and throughout all the borders+ of Judea, and then to the Gentiles so that they could repent and turn to God and do works worthy+ of repentance. 21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple and went about to kill me. 22 Therefore, having obtained help from God, I continue to this day, witnessing both to small and great saying no other things than what the prophets and Moses said would come: 23 That Christ would suffer and that He would be the first who would rise from the dead and show light to the people and to the Gentiles. 24 As he thus spoke for himself, Festus said with a loud voice: Paul, you are beside~ yourself. Too much learning has made you mad~. 25 But Paul said: I am not mad, most noble Festus, but I speak forth the words of truth and soberness. 26 For the king knows all about these things. Before him, I can speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him. For this thing was not done hidden in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe. 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul: You almost persuade me to be a Christian. 29 Then Paul said: I wish+ to God that not only you, but also all who hear me this day, were both almost and entirely+ as I am, except these chains+. 30 When he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them. 31 After they had gone aside, they talked among themselves saying: This man does nothing worthy of death or of chains+. 32 Then Agrippa said to Festus: This man might have been released+ if he had not appealed to Caesar.
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