'So2Agrippa1said6to3Paul,5“You8have permission7to speak11for9yourself.10”Then12Paul14stretched out15hishand17andmade his defense:18 “I consider9myself10fortunate11that it isbefore12you,13King7Agrippa,8I am going14to make my defense16today15against1all2the accusations34of5the Jews,6 especially1becauseyou4are3familiar with2all5the6customs9and11controversies12of7the Jews.8Therefore13I beg14youto listen16to me17patiently.15 My5manner of life4from7myyouth,8spent12from10the beginning11among13my own16nation15and18in17Jerusalem,19is known by20all21the22Jews.23 They have known1[for a long time],3if4they are willing to5testify,6that7according to8the9strictest10party11of14our13religion14I have lived15asa Pharisee.16 And1now2I stand15hereon trial16because of3myhope4in6the5promise10made11by12God14to8our9fathers,8 to1which2our5twelve tribes4hope12to attain,13as theyearnestly67worship11night8and9day.10Andfor14this15hope16I am accused17by18Jews,19O king!20 Why1is it thought3incredible2by any of4you5that6God8raises10the dead?9 I1myself5was convinced4that Iought12to do15many things13in opposing14the7name8of Jesus9of Nazareth.11 And2I did3so1in4Jerusalem.5I11not only6locked up14many7of the9saints10in12prison13after receiving20authority19from16the17chief priests,18but22when21they23were put to death21I cast24[my] vote25against24them. And1I9punished7them8often6in2all3the4synagogues5andtried to make9themblaspheme,10and12in raging11fury13against them14I persecuted15themeven17to16foreign20cities.21 In1this [connection]2Ijourneyed3to4Damascus6with7the authority8and9commission10of the12chief priests.13 At midday,12O king,7I saw6on3the4way5a light16from heaven,8brighter than91011the12sun,13that shone around14me15and17those18who journeyed21with19me.20 And2when3we4had3all1fallen3to5the6ground,7I heard8a voice9saying10to11me12in the13Hebrew14language,15‘Saul,16Saul,17why18are you persecuting20me?19It ishard21for you22to kick25against23the goads.’24 And2I1said,3‘Who4are you,5Lord?’6And8the7Lord9said,10‘I11am12Jesus13whom14you15are persecuting.16 But1rise2and3stand4upon5your8feet,7for11I have appeared12to you13for9this [purpose],10to appoint14you15as a servant16and17witness18to the things in which19you have seen21me22and24to those in which23I will appear25to you,26 delivering1you2from3yourpeople5and6from7the8Gentiles9— to10whom11I12am sending13you14 to open1their3eyes,2so that4they may turn5from6darkness7to8light9and10fromthe11power12of Satan14to15God,17that18they20may receive19forgiveness21of sins22and23a place24among25those26who are sanctified27by faith28in30me.’31 Therefore,1O King2Agrippa,3I was5not4disobedient6to the7heavenly8vision,9 but1declared18first5to those2in3Damascus,4then7in Jerusalem8and10throughoutall9the11region12of Judea,14and15also15to the16Gentiles,17that they should repent19and20turn21to22God,24performing29deeds28in keeping with25theirrepentance.27 For1this [reason]2the Jews4seized5me3in7the8temple9andtried10to kill11me. To8this11day10Ihave had3the help1that4comesfrom5God,7andso2I stand12heretestifying13both15to small14and16great,17saying20nothing18but19what21the23prophets24and28Moses29said25would26come to pass:27 that1the3Christ4mustsuffer2andthat,5by beingthe first6to rise8from7the dead,9he would11proclaim12light10both14to [our] people15and16to the17Gentiles.”18 And2as4he3was saying4these things1in his defense,4Festus6said10with a8loud7voice,9“Paul,12you are out of your mind;11yourgreat14learning16is driving19you15out of your mind.”1718 But2Paul3said,6“I am5not4out of my mind,5most excellent7Festus,8but9I am speaking14true10and11rational12words.13 For2the5king6knows1about3these things,4and9to7him8I speak11boldly.10For13I am persuaded18thatnone19of these things16has escaped12his14notice,12for21this26has22not20been22done25in23a corner.24 King2Agrippa,3doyou believe1the4prophets?5I know6that7you believe.”8 And2Agrippa3saidto4Paul,6“In7a short [time]8wouldyou persuade10me9to be12a Christian?”11 And2Paul3said,“Whether8short910or11long,1213I would4to God7thatnot14only15you16but17also18all19who hear21me22this day23might become24such25as26I28am29— except30forthese33chains.”32 Then2the3king4rose,1and5the6governor7and9Bernice10and11those12who were sitting with13them.14 And1when they had withdrawn,2they said3to4one another,5“This17man16is doing14nothing8to deserve12death9or10imprisonment.”11 And2Agrippa1said5to Festus,4“This10man9could7have been set free6if11he had13not12appealed to13Caesar.”14