Acts 26

26 ¹ Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

² "I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that it is before you I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, ³ especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. So I beg you to listen to me patiently.

⁴ "My way of life from my youth, lived from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. ⁵ They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I lived as a Pharisee. ⁶ And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise our Father made to our fathers, ⁷ the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. It is for this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews. ⁸ Why is it judged incredible by any of you that our Father raises the dead?

⁹ "I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I locked up many of the holy ones in prison, and when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. ¹¹ Often, in all the synagogues, I punished them and tried to force them to blaspheme; and in raging fury against them I hunted them down even to foreign cities.

¹² "On one such journey I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. ¹³ At midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and those traveling with me. ¹⁴ We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' ^a a v14 "Kicking against the goads" was a common saying for a stubborn ox fighting the farmer's prod — resisting only wounds yourself.

¹⁵ And I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

¹⁶ But rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you as a servant and a witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, ¹⁷ rescuing you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you ¹⁸ to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to our Father, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are made holy by faith in me.'

¹⁹ "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but I declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to our Father, doing deeds that match their repentance. ²¹ For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. ²² To this day I have had the help that comes from our Father, and so I stand here testifying to both small and great, saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen: ²³ that the Christ must suffer, and that by being the first to rise from the dead he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."

²⁴ As Paul was making this defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness."

²⁵ But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and good sense. ²⁶ For the king knows about these matters, and to him I speak boldly. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, for it was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe."

²⁸ And Agrippa said to Paul, "In such a short time would you persuade me to become a Christian?"

²⁹ And Paul said, "Whether short or long, I pray to our Father that not only you but also all who hear me today might become as I am—except for these chains."

³⁰ Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those seated with them. ³¹ And as they withdrew, they said to one another, "This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment." ³² And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."