1And Agrippa said to Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand and made his defence:
2I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defence this day before thee concerning all things of which I am accused by the Jews;
3especially as thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions among the Jews. Wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4My manner of life, then, from my youth, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem, all Jews know:
5and they know, if they are willing to testify, that from the first, according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.
6And now I stand on trial for the hope of the promise made by God to the fathers,
7which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God day and night, hope to obtain; concerning which hope, O king, I am accused by Jews.
8Why is it judged incredible with you if God raiseth the dead?
9I indeed thought with myself that I ought to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.
10Which I also did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints did I myself shut up in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11And I punished them often in all the synagogues, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
12And as I was going to Damascus on this business, with authority and a commission from the chief priests,
13at mid-day, on the road, O king, I saw a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying with me.
14And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.
15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest.
16But arise and stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared to thee for this purpose, to prepare thee as a minister and a witness both of the things which thou sawest, and of those on account of which I will appear to thee;
17delivering thee from the people, and from the gentiles, to whom I send thee,
18to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among the sanctified, by faith in me.
19Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;
20but first to those in Damascus, and Jerusalem, and to all the country of Judaea, and then to the gentiles, I proclaimed that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21For these causes the Jews seized me in the temple, and attempted to kill me.
22Having, however, obtained help from God, I continue to this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing except those things which the Prophets and Moses said were to come to pass;
23that the Christ should suffer, and that, as first of those raised from the dead, he was to proclaim light both to the people and to the gentiles.
24And as he was thus speaking in his defence, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning is making thee mad.
25But he saith, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but utter words of truth and soberness.
26For the king knoweth about these things well; to whom also I speak boldly; for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him: for this was not done in a corner.
27King Agrippa, believest thou the Prophets? I know that thou believest.
28Then Agrippa said to Paul, With little effort thou thinkest to persuade me to become a Christian.
29And Paul said, I would to God, that with little effort or with great, not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, might be made such as I am, except these bonds.
30And the king rose up and the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them;
31and going aside they talked with each other, saying, This man is doing nothing deserving death, or bonds.
32And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar.