1 A nd Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching out his hand answered in his defence:

Agrippa said to Paul, “You may now speak for yourself.” Paul lifted his hand and started to talk,

2 I count myself happy, king Agrippa, in having to answer to-day before thee concerning all of which I am accused by the Jews,

“King Agrippa, the Jews have said many things against me. I am happy to be able to tell you my side of the story.

3 e specially because thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

You know all about the Jewish ways and problems. So I ask you to listen to me until I have finished.

4 M y manner of life then from my youth, which from its commencement was passed among my nation in Jerusalem, know all the Jews,

“All the Jews know about my life from the time I was a boy until now. I lived among my own people in Jerusalem.

5 w ho knew me before from the outset, if they would bear witness, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

If they would tell what they know, they would say that I lived the life of a proud religious law-keeper. I was in the group of proud religious law-keepers who tried to obey every law.

6 A nd now I stand to be judged because of the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

“And now I am on trial here because I trust the promise God made to our fathers.

7 t o which our whole twelve tribes serving incessantly day and night hope to arrive; about which hope, O king, I am accused of Jews.

This promise is what our twelve family groups of the Jewish nation hope to see happen. They worship God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that they are saying things against me.

8 W hy should it be judged a thing incredible in your sight if God raises the dead?

Why do you think it is hard to believe that God raises people from the dead?

9 I indeed myself thought that I ought to do much against the name of Jesus the Nazaraean.

“I used to think I should work hard against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 W hich also I did in Jerusalem, and myself shut up in prisons many of the saints, having received the authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote.

I did that in Jerusalem. I put many of the followers in prison. The head religious leaders gave me the right and the power to do it. Then when the followers were killed, I said it was all right.

11 A nd often punishing them in all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme. And, being exceedingly furious against them, I persecuted them even to cities out.

I beat them and tried to make them speak against God in all the Jewish places of worship. In my fight against them, I kept going after them even into cities in other countries.

12 A nd when, in this, I was journeying to Damascus, with authority and power from the chief priests,

“When I was going to Damascus to do this, I had the right and the power from the head religious leaders to make it hard for the followers.

13 a t mid-day, on the way, I saw, O king, a light above the brightness of the sun, shining from heaven round about me and those who were journeying with me.

I was on the road at noon. King Agrippa, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun. It was shining around me and the men with me.

14 A nd, when we were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? hard for thee to kick against goads.

We all fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice speaking to me in the Jewish language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you working so hard against Me? You hurt yourself by trying to hurt Me.’

15 A nd I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:

I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, the One you are working against.

16 b ut rise up and stand on thy feet; for, for this purpose have I appeared to thee, to appoint thee to be a servant and a witness both of what thou hast seen, and of what I shall appear to thee in,

Get up. Stand on your feet. I have chosen you to work for Me. You will tell what you have seen and you will say what I want you to say. This is the reason I have allowed you to see Me.

17 t aking thee out from among the people, and the nations, to whom I send thee,

I will keep you safe from the Jews and from the people who are not Jews. I am sending you to these people.

18 t o 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 inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.

You are to open their eyes. You are to turn them from darkness to light. You are to turn them from the power of Satan to the power of God. In this way, they may have their sins forgiven. They may have what is given to them, along with all those who are set apart for God by having faith in Me.’

19 W hereupon, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;

“King Agrippa, I obeyed what I saw from heaven.

20 b ut have, first to those both in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judaea, and to the nations, announced that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

First I told what I saw to those in Damascus and then in Jerusalem. I told it through all the country of Judea. I even preached to the people who are not Jews that they should be sorry for their sins and turn from them to God. I told them they should do things to show they are sorry for their sins.

21 O n account of these things the Jews, having seized me in the temple, attempted to lay hands on and destroy me.

“That is why the Jews took hold of me in the house of God and tried to kill me.

22 H aving therefore met with help which is from God, I have stood firm unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing else than those things which both the prophets and Moses have said should happen,

God has helped me. To this day I have told these things to the people who are well-known and to those not known. I have told only what the early preachers and Moses said would happen.

23 w hether Christ should suffer; whether he first, through resurrection of dead, should announce light both to the people and to the nations.

It was that Christ must suffer and be the first to rise from the dead. He would give light to the Jews and to the other nations.”

24 A nd as he answered for his defence with these things, Festus says with a loud voice, Thou art mad, Paul; much learning turns thee to madness.

As Paul was speaking for himself, Festus cried out in a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! All your learning keeps you from thinking right!”

25 B ut Paul said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but utter words of truth and soberness;

Paul said, “Most respected Festus, I am not crazy. I am speaking the truth!

26 f or the king is informed about these things, to whom also I speak with all freedom. For I am persuaded that of these things nothing is hidden from him; for this was not done in a corner.

The king knows about all this. I am free to speak to him in plain words. Nothing I have said is new to him. These things happened where everyone saw them.

27 K ing Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

King Agrippa, do you believe the writings of the early preachers? I know that you believe them.”

28 A nd Agrippa to Paul, In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “In this short time you have almost proven to me that I should become a Christian!”

29 A nd Paul, I would to God, both in little and in much, that not only thou, but all who have heard me this day, should become such as I also am, except these bonds.

Paul said, “My prayer to God is that you and all who hear me today would be a Christian as I am, only not have these chains!”

30 A nd the king stood up, and the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them,

King Agrippa and Festus and Bernice and those who sat with them got up.

31 a nd having gone apart, they spoke to one another saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

As they left the courtroom, they said to each other, “This man has done nothing for which he should be kept in prison or be put to death.”

32 A nd Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been let go if he had not appealed to Caesar.

Agrippa told Festus, “This man could go free if he had not asked to be sent to Caesar.”