Acts 26 WBT

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

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

³ Especially, [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.

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

⁵ Who knew me from the beginning, (if they would testify) that after the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.

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

⁷ To which [promise] our twelve tribes, assiduously serving [God] day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

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

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

¹⁰ Which 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].

¹¹ And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled [them] to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted [them] even to foreign cities.

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

¹³ At mid-day, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, surpassing the brightness of the sun, shining around me, and them who journeyed with me.

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

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

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

¹⁷ Delivering thee from the people, and [from] the Gentiles, to whom now I send thee,

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

¹⁹ Upon which O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

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

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

²² Having therefore obtained help from God, I continue to this day, testifying both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

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

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

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

²⁶ For 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.

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

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

²⁹ And 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.

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

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

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