Jubilee2000 - Acts - 26

26:1  Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand and answered for himself:

26:2  I esteem myself blessed, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee concerning all the things of which I am accused of the Jews,

26:3  especially [because I know] thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews; therefore, I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

26:4  My manner of life from my youth, which from the beginning was among my own nation at Jerusalem, is known of all the Jews,

26:5  who knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most perfect sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

26:6  And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;

26:7  unto which [promise] our twelve tribes, constantly serving [God] day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

26:8  Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead?

26:9  I verily had thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

26:10  Which things I also did in Jerusalem, and I shut up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the princes of the priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against [them].

26:11  And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled [them] to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted [them] even unto foreign cities.

26:12  Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the princes of the priests,

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 those who journeyed with me.

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 dost thou persecute me? [It is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

26:15  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute.

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 which I will appear unto thee;

26:17  delivering thee from the people and [from] the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee

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 remission of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified by the faith that is in me.

26:19  Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,

26:20  but I announced first unto those 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, doing works worthy of repentance.

26:21  For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple and went about to kill [me].

26:22  Having, therefore, obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said should come:

26:23  that the Christ should suffer [and] that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should show light unto this people and to the Gentiles.

26:24  And as he spoke these things and [answered] for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

26:25  But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth words of truth and temperance.

26:26  For the king knows of these things, before whom I also speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done in a corner.

26:27  King Agrippa, dost thou believe the prophets? I know that thou believest.

26:28  Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

26:29  And Paul said, I desire before God that by little or by much, not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were such as I am, except these bonds.

26:30  And when he had said these things, the king rose up and the governor and Bernice and those that sat with them;

26:31  and when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

26:32  Then Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty if he had not appealed unto Caesar.: