Acts 26:2-30

2“I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today ^aagainst all the accusations of the Jews, 3especially because you are familiar with all the ^bcustoms and ^ccontroversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 ^d“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among ^emy 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 ^faccording to the strictest ^gparty of our ^hreligion I have lived as ⁱa Pharisee. 6And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in ^jthe promise made by God to our fathers, 7 ^kto which ^lour twelve tribes hope to ^mattain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope ⁿI am accused by Jews, O king! 8Why is it thought ^oincredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

9 ^p“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of ^qJesus of Nazareth. 10 ^rAnd I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority ^sfrom the chief priests, but ^twhen they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11And ^uI punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them ^vblaspheme, and ^win raging fury against them I ^xpersecuted them even to foreign cities.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

12“In this connection ^yI journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13At 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. 14And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me ^zin the Hebrew language, ▼

▼Or  the Hebrew dialect (probably Aramaic)

‘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 ^abstand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, ^acto 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 ^addelivering you from your people and from the Gentiles— ^aeto whom I ^afam sending you 18 ^agto open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from ^ahthe power of Satan to God, that they may receive ^aiforgiveness of sins and ^aja place among those who are sanctified ^akby faith in me.’

19“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to ^althe heavenly vision, 20but declared first ^amto those in Damascus, ^anthen in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also ^aoto the Gentiles, that they should ^aprepent and ^aqturn to God, performing deeds ^arin keeping with their repentance. 21For this reason ^asthe Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 ^atTo this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so ^auI stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what ^avthe prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 ^awthat the Christ ^axmust suffer and that, ^ayby being the first ^azto rise from the dead, ^bahe would proclaim ^bblight 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, ^bcyou 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, ^bdmost excellent Festus, but I am speaking ^betrue and ^bfrational words. 26For ^bgthe 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. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be ^bha Christian?” ▼

▼Or In a short time you would persuade me to act like a Christian!

29And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day ^bjmight become such as I am—except for ^bkthese chains.”

30Then the king rose, and ^blthe governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them.