The Koine Bible

Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched out his hand and began to defend himself.

Concerning all the things I am accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that today I am about to make my defense before you,

Since I know you well to be expert in all Jewish customs and questions, I ask you to listen patiently to me.

All the Jews know my manner of life from my youth, which began at the first among my own nation and in Jerusalem,

Knowing me from the beginning, if they want to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.

And now I stand judged because of the hope in the promise made by God to our fathers,

to which our twelve tribes hope to attain in earnest service night and day. For this hope I am accused by the Jews, King.

Why is it considered incredible among you if God raises the dead?

Therefore, I thought it necessary for myself to oppose many things concerning the name of Jesus the Nazarene.

This I also did in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were being put to death I gave my vote.

And I punished them in every synagogue, forcing them to blaspheme, and being extremely enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

While I was traveling to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests

About midday, on the road, King, I saw from heaven a light brighter than the sun shining around me and those traveling with me.

And when we all fell to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.

But I said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

But get up and stand on your feet; for to this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and what I will show you.

Delivering you from the people and from the nations, to whom I am sending you

to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

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

But first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, and throughout all the land of Judea, and to the Gentiles, I announced that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

Because of these things, the Jews arrested me in the temple, trying to kill me.

Therefore, having obtained help from God, I have stood to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing except what the prophets spoke would happen and Moses,

If the Messiah is to suffer, and is the first from the resurrection of the dead, he is destined to proclaim light both to the people and to the nations.

As he was defending himself, Festus said with a loud voice, You are out of your mind, Paul; your great learning is driving you insane.

But Paul said, I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but I speak words of truth and sobriety.

For the king knows about these things, to whom I also speak openly. For I am not persuaded that anything has escaped his notice, since this has not been done in a corner.

Do you believe, King Agrippa, in the prophets? I know that you believe.

And Agrippa said to Paul, You are persuading me in a short time to become a Christian.

But Paul said, I would wish to God that not only you but also all who hear me today might become such as I am, except for these chains.

Then the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those sitting with them,

And when they withdrew, they were speaking to one another, saying that this man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment.

Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.