Acts:26

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* And Agrippa said to Paul , It is permitted thee to speak for thyself . Then Paul , having stretched forth his hand , made a defense . * Concerning all things of which I am accused by the Jews , king Agrippa , I consider myself blessed , being about to make my defense before thee today . * Especially thee , being an expert of all things regarding Jews , both habits and issues . Therefore I beg thee to hear me patiently . * Indeed therefore , my manner of life from youth , having developed from the beginning among my nation at Jerusalem , all the Jews know , * having known me previously from the beginning , if they were willing to testify , that according to the strictest party of our religion I lived a Pharisee . * And now for the hope of the promise made by God to the fathers , I stand being judged , * to which our twelve tribes , serving in earnestness night and day , hope to attain , about which hope , king Agrippa , I am accused by the Jews ! * Why is it judged incredible with you , if God raises the dead ? * Indeed therefore I thought it necessary for myself to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene , * which also I did at Jerusalem . And I locked up many of the sanctified in prisons , having received authority from the chief priests . And when they were killed , I gave a vote against them . * And punishing them often at all the synagogues , I compelled them to blaspheme . And being extraordinarily furious toward them , I persecuted them even as far as to outside cities . * And during which , while going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests , * at midday , O king , I saw on the road a light from heaven , above the brightness of the sun , which shone around me and those who went with me . * And when we all fell to the ground , I heard a voice speaking to me , and saying in the Hebrew language , Saul , Saul , why do thou persecute me ? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads . * And I said , Who are thou , Lord ? And he said , I am Jesus whom thou persecute . * But arise , and stand upon thy feet , for I appeared to thee for this , to appoint thee an assistant and a witness both of things that thou saw , and of the things that I will make visible to thee , * delivering thee from the people , and from the Gentiles , to whom I send thee , * to open their eyes to turn about from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God , for them to receive remission of sins and a lot among those who have been sanctified by faith in me . * Whereupon , king Agrippa , I did not become disobedient to the heavenly vision , * but declaring first to those at Damascus and then at Jerusalem , and in all the region of Judea , and to the Gentiles , to repent and return to God , doing works worthy of repentance . * Because of these things the Jews , having seized me in the temple , tried to grasp and kill me . * Having therefore experienced the help from God , I stand to this day solemnly declaring both to small and great , saying nothing apart from what both the prophets and Moses said was going to happen , * that the suffering Christ , since first from a resurrection of the dead , is going to proclaim light to our people and to the nations . * And while he made a defense by these things , Festus said in a loud voice , Paul , thou are mad . Much scholarship is driving thee into madness . * But Paul says , I am not mad , eminent Festus , but I speak forth sayings of truth and soberness . * For the king knows about these things , before whom I also speak boldly . For I am convinced not any of these things , nothing , to be hidden from him . For this was not done in a corner . * King Agrippa , do thou believe the prophets ? I know that thou believe . * And Agrippa said to Paul , By a little thou persuade me to become a Christian . * And Paul said , I ever pray to God , both by little and by much , not only thee , but also all who hear me this day , to become such kind as I also am , apart from these bonds . * And when he spoke these things , the king rose up , and the governor , and Bernice , and those who sat with them . * And having withdrawn , they spoke to each other , saying , This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds . * And Agrippa said to Festus , This man could have been released , if he had not appealed Caesar .

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