Act 26 | NASB2020 | STEP | Now Agrippa said to Paul , “You are permitted to speak for yourself .” Then Paul extended his hand and proceeded to make his defense :

1 ^aNow Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul extended his hand and proceeded to make his defense:

2 “Regarding all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate 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 way of life since my youth, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and in 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 standing trial ⁱfor the hope of ^jthe promise made by God to our fathers; 7 the promise ^kto which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. For this ^lhope, O king, I am being ^maccused by Jews. 8 Why is it considered incredible among you people ⁿif God raises the dead?

9 “So ^oI thought to myself that I had to act in strong opposition to ^pthe name of Jesus ^{▼▼Or the Nazarene}of Nazareth. 10 And this is ^{▼▼Lit also}just what I ^sdid in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the ^{▼▼Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people}saints in prisons, after ^ureceiving authority from the chief priests, but I also ^vcast my vote against them when they were being put to death. 11 And ^was I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was ^xextremely 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 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 a spiked stick}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 as a ^ajservant and ^aka witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, 17 ^alrescuing you ^amfrom the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to ^anopen their eyes so that they may turn from ^aodarkness to light, and from the ^{▼▼Or dominion}power 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 “For that reason, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but continually proclaimed ^auto those in Damascus first, and ^avin Jerusalem, and then all the region of Judea, and even ^awto the Gentiles, that they are to ^axrepent and turn to God, performing deeds ^ayconsistent with repentance. 21 For these reasons some Jews ^azseized me in the temple and tried ^bato murder me. 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 as to ^bdwhether the ^{▼▼I.e., Messiah}Christ was ^{▼▼Lit subject to suffering}to suffer, and whether, as ^bgfirst from the resurrection of the dead, He would proclaim ^bhlight both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

24 While ^{▼▼Lit he}Paul was stating these things in his defense, Festus *said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! ^{▼▼Lit The many letters; i.e., education}Your great ^bklearning is ^{▼▼Lit turning you to madness}driving you insane.” 25 But Paul *said, “I am not insane, ^bmmost excellent Festus; on the contrary, I am speaking out with ^{▼▼Lit words of truth and rationality}truthful and rational words. 26 For the king ^{▼▼Or understands
,} ^bpknows about these matters, and I also speak to him 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 believe.” 28 Agrippa replied to Paul, “ ^{▼▼Or With a little}In a short time you are going to persuade me to ^{▼▼Or act as a Christian}make a ^btChristian of myself.” 29 And Paul said, “I would ^{▼▼Or pray to}wish to God that even ^{▼▼Or with a little or with much}in a short or long time not only you, but also all who hear me this day would become such as I myself am, except for these ^bwchains.”

30 ^bxThe king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, 31 and when they had gone out, they began talking to one another, saying, “ ^byThis man is not doing anything deserving death or ^{▼▼Lit bonds}imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been ^caset free if he had not ^cbappealed to Caesar.”