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

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

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

I 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:

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

especially 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.

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

My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

5 I f 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.

which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

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

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

7 T his 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.

unto 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.

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

Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

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

I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 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.

Which 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.

11 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.

And 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.

12 “ 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.

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

13 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.

at 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.

14 W e 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.’

And 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.

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

And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

16 G et 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.

But 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;

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

delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

18 Y ou 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.’

to 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.

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

Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

20 F irst 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.

but shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judæa, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

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

For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

22 G od 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.

Having 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:

23 I t 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.”

that 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.

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

And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

25 P aul said, “Most respected Festus, I am not crazy. I am speaking the truth!

But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

26 T he 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.

For 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.

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

King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

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

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

29 P aul 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!”

And 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.

30 K ing Agrippa and Festus and Bernice and those who sat with them got up.

And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

31 A s 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.”

and when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

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

Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cæsar.