1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.”
Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense. 2 “I think myself
happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you this day
concerning all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews, 3 especially
because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews.
Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
4 “Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was
from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem; 5 having known me
from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect
of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6 Now I stand here to be judged for
the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 which our twelve
tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope
I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa! 8 Why is it judged incredible with
you, if God does raise the dead?
9 “I myself most assuredly thought that I ought to do many things contrary
to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem. I both
shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the
chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.
11 Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them
blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to
foreign cities.
12 “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission
from the chief priests, 13 at noon, O King, I saw on the way a light from
the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with
me. 14 When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me
in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is
hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But arise, and
stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint
you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of
the things which I will reveal to you; 17 delivering you from the people,
and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, 18 to open their eyes, that
they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that
they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are
sanctified by faith in me.’
19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout
all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent
and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. 21 For this reason the
Jews seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me. 22 Having therefore
obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to
small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would
happen, 23 how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the
dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the
Gentiles.”
24 As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you
are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
25 But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare
words of truth and reasonableness. 26 For the king knows of these things,
to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is
hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa,
do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make
me a Christian?”
29 Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not
only you, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am,
except for these bonds.”
30 The king rose up with the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with
them. 31 When they had withdrawn, they spoke one to another, saying, “This
man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.” 32 Agrippa said to Festus,
“This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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