1 T hen Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself:

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

2 “ I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things 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 you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you 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 “ My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know.

“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 T hey knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, 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 and am judged for 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 this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the 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 thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?

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

9 “ Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

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

10 T his I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

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 I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. Paul Recounts His Conversion

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 “ While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission 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 midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed 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 all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the 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 S o I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

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

16 B ut rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.

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 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,

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, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ Paul’s Post-Conversion Life

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

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

20 b ut declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting 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 F or these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

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

22 T herefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—

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 t hat the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” Agrippa Parries Paul’s Challenge

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 N ow as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”

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 he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason.

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

26 F or the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing 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, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”

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

28 T hen Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade 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 said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”

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 W hen he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as 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 when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”

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 T hen Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free 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.”