26:1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense:
26:2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,
26:3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
26:4 “The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem.
26:5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.
26:6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today.
26:7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me.
26:8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
26:9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
26:10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.
26:11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
26:12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
26:13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions.
26:14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
26:15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
26:16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you.
26:17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
26:18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
26:19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
26:20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
26:21 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
26:22 But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen–
26:23 that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
26:24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”
26:25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.
26:26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.
26:27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
26:28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
26:29 Paul replied, “Short time or long–I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
26:30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them.
26:31 They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”
26:32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
26:1 And Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
26:2 Concerning all the things which I am accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself blessed that I am to make my defense before you today,
26:3 Especially since you are familiar with all the customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
26:4 The manner of my life from youth, which from the beginning was among my own nation and in Jerusalem, all the Jews know,
26:5 Since they have previously known about me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.
26:6 And now I stand here being judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
26:7 To which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king.
26:8 Why is it judged incredible among you if God raises the dead?
26:9 Well then, I thought to myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene,
26:10 Which also I did in Jerusalem; and I both shut up many of the saints in prison when I had received authority from the chief priests and cast a vote against them when they were being done away with.
26:11 And in all the synagogues I punished them often and tried to compel them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged at them, I persecuted them even as far as foreign cities.
26:12 Engaged in these things, I journeyed to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests.
26:13 At midday, on the way, I saw, O king, a light from heaven beyond the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.
26:14 And when we all fell 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.
26:15 And I said, Who are You, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute.
26:16 But rise up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a minister and a witness both of the things in which you have seen Me and of the things in which I will appear to you;
26:17 Delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,
26:18 To open their eyes, to turn them 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 have been sanctified by faith in Me.
26:19 Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
26:20 But declared both to those in Damascus first and in Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea and to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
26:21 Because of these things certain Jews seized me while I was in the temple and tried to slay me.
26:22 Having therefore obtained the help which is from God, I have stood unto this day, testifying both to small and great, saying nothing apart from the things which both the prophets and Moses have said would take place,
26:23 That the Christ would suffer and that He, being the first to rise from the dead, would announce light both to the people and to the Gentiles.
26:24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, You are insane, Paul. Much learning is driving you insane.
26:25 But Paul said, I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but I am uttering words of truth and soberness.
26:26 For the king knows about these things, to whom also I speak freely, for I am persuaded that none of these things have escaped his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.
26:27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.
26:28 And Agrippa replied to Paul, By so little are you trying to persuade me to become a Christian?
26:29 And Paul said, I would to God that both by little and by much, not only you, but also all those who hear me today might become even such as I am, except for these bonds.
26:30 And the king rose up, and the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them;
26:31 And when they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, This man is doing nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
26:32 And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been released, had he not appealed to Caesar.