1Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art
permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched
forth the hand, and answered for himself:
2I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because
I shall answer for myself this day before thee
touching all the things whereof I am accused of the
Jews:
3Especially because
I know thee to be expert in all customs and
questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I
beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4My manner of life from my youth, which was
at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem,
know all the Jews;
5Which knew me from the beginning, if they
would testify, that after the most straitest sect of
our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6And now I stand and am judged for the hope
of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
7Unto which promise our
twelve tribes, instantly serving God day
and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king
Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
8Why should it be thought a thing incredible
with you, that God should raise the dead?
9I verily thought with myself, that I ought
to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of
Nazareth.
10Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and
many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having
received authority from the chief priests; and when
they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11And I punished them oft in every synagogue,
and compelled them to
blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I
persecuted them even
unto strange cities.
12Whereupon as I went to Damascus with
authority and commission from the chief priests,
13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light
from heaven, above the brightness of the sun,
shining round about me and them which journeyed with
me.
14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I
heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the
Hebrew tongue, Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou me? it
is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he
said, I
am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16But
rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared
unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister
and a witness both of these things which thou hast
seen, and of those things in the which I will appear
unto thee;
17Delivering
thee from the people, and from the
Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18To
open their eyes, and to
turn them from
darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them
which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
19Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not
disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and
at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of
Judaea, and then to
the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to
God, and do works meet for repentance.
21For these causes the Jews caught me in the
temple, and went about to kill me.
22Having therefore obtained help of God, I
continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and
great, saying none other things than those which the
prophets and Moses did say should come:
23That Christ should suffer, and that
he should be the first that should rise from the
dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to
the Gentiles.
24And as he thus spake for himself, Festus
said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside
thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
25But he said, I am not mad, most noble
Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and
soberness.
26For the king knoweth of these things,
before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded
that none of these things are hidden from him; for
this thing was not done in a corner.
27King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?
I know that thou believest.
28Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou
persuadest me to be a Christian.
29And Paul said, I would to God, that not
only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were
both almost, and altogether such as I am, except
these bonds.
30And when he had thus spoken, the king rose
up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat
with them:
31And when they were gone aside, they talked
between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing
worthy of death or of bonds.
32Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man
might have been set at liberty, if he had not
appealed unto Caesar.
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