1 T hen Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak on your own behalf. At that Paul stretched forth his hand and made his defense:

Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.

2 I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that it is before you that I am to make my defense today in regard to all the charges brought against me by Jews,

“I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews,

3 b ecause you are so fully and unusually conversant with all the Jewish customs and controversies; therefore, I beg you to hear me patiently.

especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

4 M y behavior and manner of living from my youth up is known by all the Jews; that from commencement my youth was spent among my own race in Jerusalem.

“Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;

5 T hey have had knowledge of me for a long time, if they are willing to testify to it, that in accordance with the strictest sect of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee.

having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6 A nd now I stand here on trial of the hope of that promise made to our forefathers by God,

Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

7 W hich hope our twelve tribes confidently expect to realize as they fervently worship night and day. And for that hope, O king, I am accused by Jews and considered a criminal!

which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa!

8 W hy is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?

9 I myself indeed was persuaded that it was my duty to do many things contrary to and in defiance of the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

“I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 A nd that is what I did in Jerusalem; I locked up many of the saints (holy ones) in prison by virtue of authority received from the chief priests, but when they were being condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.

This I also did in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

11 A nd frequently I punished them in all the synagogues to make them blaspheme; and in my bitter fury against them, I harassed (troubled, molested, persecuted) and pursued them even to foreign cities.

Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12 T hus engaged I proceeded to Damascus with the authority and orders of the chief priests,

“Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,

13 W hen on the road at midday, O king, I saw a light from heaven surpassing the brightness of the sun, flashing about me and those who were traveling with me.

at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.

14 A nd when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice in the Hebrew tongue saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you continue to persecute Me ? It is dangerous and turns out badly for you to keep kicking against the goads.

When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 A nd I said, Who are You, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting.

“I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

16 B ut arise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, that I might appoint you to serve as minister and to bear witness both to what you have seen of Me and to that in which I will appear to you,

But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you;

17 C hoosing you out and delivering you from among this people and the Gentiles to whom I am sending you—

delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,

18 T o open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may thus receive forgiveness and release from their sins and a place and portion among those who are consecrated and purified by faith in Me.

to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

19 W herefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,

“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20 B ut made known openly first of all to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout the whole land of Judea, and also among the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works and live lives consistent with and worthy of their repentance.

but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

21 B ecause of these things the Jews seized me in the temple '> enclosure] and tried to do away with me.

For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me.

22 t o this day I have had the help which comes from God '> ally], and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike, asserting nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses declared would come to pass—

Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen,

23 T hat the Christ (the Anointed One) must suffer and that He, by being the first to rise from the dead, would declare and show light both to the people and to the Gentiles.

how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”

24 A nd as he thus proceeded with his defense, Festus called out loudly, Paul, you are mad! Your great learning is driving you insane!

As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

25 B ut Paul replied, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but I am uttering the straight, sound truth.

But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.

26 F or the king understands about these things well enough, and to him I speak with bold frankness and confidence. I am convinced that not one of these things has escaped his notice, for all this did not take place in a corner.

For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.

27 K ing Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I perceive and know that you do believe.

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”

28 T hen Agrippa said to Paul, You think it a small task to make a Christian of me.

Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”

29 A nd Paul replied, Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you, but also all who are listening to me today, might become such as I am, except for these chains.

Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”

30 T hen the king arose, and the governor and Bernice and all those who were seated with them;

The king rose up with the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.

31 A nd after they had gone out, they said to one another, This man is doing nothing deserving of death or of imprisonment.

When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”

32 A nd Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been set at liberty if he had not appealed to Caesar.

Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”