Act 26 | NASB1995 | STEP | Agrippa said to Paul , “ You are permitted to speak for yourself .” Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense :

2 “In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; 3 ^{▼▼ Or because you are especially expert}especially because you are an expert in all ^ccustoms and ^{▼▼ Or controversial issues}questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 “So then, all Jews know ^emy manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; 5 since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a ^fPharisee ^gaccording to the strictest ^hsect of our religion. 6 “And now I am ^{▼▼ Lit being tried}standing trial ^jfor the hope of ^kthe promise made by God to our fathers; 7 the promise ^lto which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this ^mhope, O King, I am being ⁿaccused by Jews. 8 “Why is it considered incredible among you people ^oif God does raise the dead?

9 “So then, ^pI thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to ^qthe name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 “And this is ^{▼▼ Lit also}just what I ^sdid in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the ^{▼▼ Or holy ones}saints in prisons, having ^ureceived authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I ^vcast my vote against them. 11 “And ^was I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being ^xfuriously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them ^yeven to ^{▼▼ Or outlying}foreign cities.

12 ^{▼▼ Lit In which things}“While so engaged ^abas I was journeying 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, ^{▼▼ Lit above the brightness of}brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 “And when we had ^adall fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the ^{▼▼ I.e. Jewish Aramaic
,} ^afHebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? ^{▼▼ An idiom referring to an animal’s futile resistance to being prodded with goads}It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 ‘But get up and ^ahstand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to ^aiappoint you a ^ajminister and ^aka witness not only to the things which you have ^{▼▼ Two early mss read seen Me}seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 ^amrescuing you ^anfrom the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to ^aoopen their eyes so that they may turn from ^apdarkness to light and from the dominion of ^aqSatan to God, that they may receive ^arforgiveness of sins and an ^asinheritance among those who have been sanctified by ^atfaith in Me.’

19 “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but kept declaring both ^auto those of Damascus first, and also ^avat Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even ^awto the Gentiles, that they should ^axrepent and turn to God, performing deeds ^ayappropriate to repentance. 21 “For this reason some Jews ^azseized me in the temple and tried ^bato put me to death. 22 “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day ^bbtestifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what ^bcthe Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23 ^{▼▼ Lit whether
,} ^bethat ^{▼▼ I.e. the Messiah}the Christ was ^{▼▼ Lit subject to suffering}to suffer, and ^{▼▼ Lit whether}that ^biby reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim ^bjlight both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

24 While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! ^{▼▼ Lit The many letters} Your great ^bllearning is ^{▼▼ Lit turning you to madness}driving you mad.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, ^bnmost excellent Festus, but I utter words ^{▼▼ Lit of truth and rationality}of sober truth. 26 “For the king ^{▼▼ Or understands
,} ^bqknows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a ^{▼▼ I.e. a hidden or secret place}corner. 27 “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you ^{▼▼ Lit believe}do.” 28 Agrippa replied to Paul, ^{▼▼ Or With a little}“In a short time you ^{▼▼ Or are trying to convince}will persuade me to ^{▼▼ Lit make}become a ^bwChristian.” 29 And Paul said, ^{▼▼ Or I would pray to}“I would wish to God, that whether ^{▼▼ Or with a little or with much}in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these ^bzchains.”

30 ^caThe king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, 31 and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, ^cb“This man is not doing anything worthy of death or ^{▼▼ Lit bonds}imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been ^cdset free if he had not ^ceappealed to Caesar.”