1And Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense.
2“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews,
3especially since you are an expert in all the customs and controversies among the Jews. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4“So then, my way of life from my youth, which from the beginning was spent among my own people and in Jerusalem, all the Jews know.
5They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.
6And now I stand on trial for the hope in the promise made by God to our fathers,
7the promise which our twelve tribes, as they earnestly serve God night and day, hope to attain. It is concerning this hope, O King, that I am accused by the Jews.
8Why is it thought incredible by you all that God raises the dead?
9“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10And that is what I did in Jerusalem. Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.
11And in all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to force them to blaspheme. And in my extreme rage against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12“While engaged in this, I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
13At midday, O King, on the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were traveling with me.
14And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘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 stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you as a servant and a witness both to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you.
17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness 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,
20but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
22So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would take place:
23that the Christ must suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
25But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking words of truth and sound judgment.
26For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely. I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.
27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
28And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time you are trying to persuade me to become a Christian!”
29And Paul said, “Whether in a short or a long time, I would pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as I am—except for these chains.”
30Then the king stood up, and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them.
31After they withdrew, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man is doing nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”
32And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
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