AC-26:1  Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak

for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for

himself:

AC-26:2  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:

AC-26:3  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.

AC-26:4  My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first

among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

AC-26:5  Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify,

that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a

Pharisee.

AC-26:6  And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the

promise

made of God unto our fathers:

AC-26:7  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.

AC-26:8  Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you,

that

God should raise the dead?

AC-26:9  I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many

things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

AC-26:10  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].

AC-26:11  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.

AC-26:12  Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and

commission from the chief priests,

AC-26:13  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.

AC-26:14  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.

AC-26:15  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus

whom thou persecutest.

AC-26:16  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;

AC-26:17  Delivering thee from the people, and [from] the

Gentiles,

unto whom now I send thee,

AC-26:18  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.

AC-26:19  Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto

the

heavenly vision:

AC-26:20  But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at

Jerusalem,

and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and [then] to the

Gentiles,

that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for

repentance.

AC-26:21  For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and

went about to kill [me].

AC-26:22  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:

AC-26:23  That Christ should suffer, [and] that he should be the

first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto

the

people, and to the Gentiles.

AC-26:24  And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a

loud

voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make

thee

mad.

AC-26:25  But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak

forth the words of truth and soberness.

AC-26:26  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.

AC-26:27  King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that

thou believest.

AC-26:28  Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me

to

be a Christian.

AC-26:29  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.

AC-26:30  And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the

governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

AC-26:31  And when they were gone aside, they talked between

themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of

bonds.

AC-26:32  Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been

set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

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