WeBible

1 - And Agrippa said unto Paul, `It is permitted to thee to speak for thyself;' then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a defence:

2 - `Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, king Agrippa, I have thought myself happy, being about to make a defence before thee to-day,

3 - especially knowing thee to be acquainted with all things--both customs and questions--among Jews; wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently to hear me.

4 - `The manner of my life then, indeed, from youth--which from the beginning was among my nation, in Jerusalem--know do all the Jews,

5 - knowing me before from the first, (if they may be willing to testify,) that after the most exact sect of our worship, I lived a Pharisee;

6 - and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,

7 - to which our twelve tribes, intently night and day serving, do hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, king Agrippa, by the Jews;

8 - why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?

9 - `I, indeed, therefore, thought with myself, that against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved <FI>me<Fi> many things to do,

10 - which also I did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I in prison did shut up, from the chief priests having received the authority; they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them,

11 - and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining <FI>them<Fi> to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting <FI>them<Fi> even unto strange cities.

12 - `In which things, also, going on to Damascus--with authority and commission from the chief priests--

13 - at mid-day, I saw in the way, O king, out of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me a light--and those going on with me;

14 - and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? hard for thee against pricks to kick!

15 - `And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute;

16 - but rise, and stand upon thy feet, for for this I appeared to thee, to appoint thee an officer and a witness both of the things thou didst see, and of the things <FI>in which<Fi> I will appear to thee,

17 - delivering thee from the people, and the nations, to whom now I send thee,

18 - to open their eyes, to turn <FI>them<Fi> from darkness to light, and <FI>from<Fi> the authority of the Adversary unto God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified, by faith that <FI>is<Fi> toward me.

19 - `Whereupon, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20 - but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, to all the region also of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to reform, and to turn back unto God, doing works worthy of reformation;

21 - because of these things the Jews--having caught me in the temple--were endeavouring to kill <FI>me<Fi> .

22 - `Having obtained, therefore, help from God, till this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spake of as about to come,

23 - that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a rising from the dead, he is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.'

24 - And, he thus making a defence, Festus with a loud voice said, `Thou art mad, Paul; much learning doth turn thee mad;'

25 - and he saith, `I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness the sayings I speak forth;

26 - for the king doth know concerning these things, before whom also I speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing hath not been done in a corner;

27 - thou dost believe, king Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that thou dost believe!'

28 - And Agrippa said unto Paul, `In a little thou dost persuade me to become a Christian!'

29 - and Paul said, `I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only thee, but also all those hearing me to-day, to become such as I also am--except these bonds.'

30 - And, he having spoken these things, the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and those sitting with them,

31 - and having withdrawn, they were speaking unto one another, saying--`This man doth nothing worthy of death or of bonds;'

32 - and Agrippa said to Festus, `This man might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.'