ACTS 26 So  l Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:

2“I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today  m against all the accusations of the Jews, 3especially because you are familiar with all the  n customs and  o controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 p “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among  q my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that  r according to the strictest  s party of our  t religion I have lived as  u a Pharisee. 6And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in  v the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 w to which  x our twelve tribes hope to  y attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope  z I am accused by Jews, O king! 8Why is it thought  a incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

9 b “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of  c Jesus of Nazareth. 10 d And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority  e from the chief priests, but  f when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11And  g I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them  h blaspheme, and  i in raging fury against them I  j persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12“In this connection  k I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13[†]At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14[†]And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me  l in the Hebrew language, [1] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16But rise and  m stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose,  n to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 o delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles— p to whom I  q am sending you 18 r to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from  s the power of Satan to God, that they may receive  t forgiveness of sins and  u a place among those who are sanctified  v by faith in me.’

19“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to  w the heavenly vision, 20[†]but declared first  x to those in Damascus,  y then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also  z to the Gentiles, that they should  a repent and  b turn to God, performing deeds  c in keeping with their repentance. 21For this reason  d the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22[†] e To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so  f I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what  g the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 h that the Christ  i must suffer and that,  j by being the first  k to rise from the dead,  l he would proclaim  m light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

24And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul,  n you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind,  o most excellent Festus, but I am speaking  p true and  q rational words. 26[†]For  r the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27[†]King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28[†]And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be  s a Christian?” [2] 29And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day  t might become such as I am—except for  u these chains.”

30Then the king rose, and  v the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another,  w “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32And Agrippa said to Festus,  x “This man could have been set  y free if he had not appealed  z to Caesar.”