Acts 26
26
1Agrippa said to Paul, “You’re free to speak for yourself.”
Paul acknowledged King Agrippa and then began his defense. 2“King Agrippa, I think I’m fortunate today to stand in front of you and defend myself against every charge that the Jews brought against me. 3I say this since you are especially familiar with every custom and controversy in Judaism. So I ask you to listen patiently to me.
4“All the Jews know how I lived the earliest days of my youth with my own people and in Jerusalem. 5They’ve known me for a long time and can testify, if they’re willing, that I followed the strictest party of our religion. They know that I lived my life as a Pharisee.
6“I’m on trial now because I expect God to keep the promise that he made to our ancestors. 7Our twelve tribes expect this promise to be kept as they worship with intense devotion day and night. Your Majesty, the Jews are making accusations against me because I expect God to keep his promise. 8Why do all of you refuse to believe that God can bring dead people back to life?
9“I used to think that I had to do a lot of things to oppose the one named Jesus of Nazareth. 10That is what I did in Jerusalem. By the authority I received from the chief priests, I locked many Christians in prison. I voted to have them killed every time a vote was taken. 11I even went to each synagogue, punished believers, and forced them to curse ⌞the name of Jesus⌟. In my furious rage against them, I hunted them down in cities outside ⌞Jerusalem⌟.
12“I was carrying out these activities when I went to the city of Damascus. I had the power and authority of the chief priests. 13Your Majesty, at noon, while I was traveling, I saw a light that was brighter than the sun. The light came from the sky and shined around me and those who were with me. 14All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It’s hard for ⌞a mortal like⌟ you to resist God.’
15“I asked, ‘Who are you, sir?’
“The Lord answered, ‘I am Jesus, the one you’re persecuting. 16Stand up! I have appeared to you for a reason. I’m appointing you to be a servant and witness of what you have seen and of what I will show you. 17I will rescue you from the Jewish people and from the non-Jewish people to whom I am sending you. 18You will open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan’s control to God’s. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and a share among God’s people who are made holy by believing in me.’
19“At that point I did not disobey the vision I saw from heaven, King Agrippa. 20Instead, I spread the message that I first told to the ⌞Jewish⌟ people in Damascus and Jerusalem and throughout the whole country of Judea. I spread the same message to non-Jewish people. Both groups were expected to change the way they thought and acted and to turn to God. I told them to do things that prove they had changed their lives. 21For this reason the Jews took me prisoner in the temple courtyard and tried to murder me.
22“God has been helping me to this day so that I can stand and testify to important and unimportant people. I tell them only what the prophets and Moses said would happen. 23They said that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to come back to life and would spread light to Jewish and non-Jewish people.”
24As Paul was defending himself in this way, Festus shouted, “Paul, you’re crazy! Too much education is driving you crazy!”
25Paul replied, “I’m not crazy, Your Excellency Festus. What I’m saying is true and sane. 26I can easily speak to a king who knows about these things. I’m sure that none of these things has escaped his attention. None of this was done secretly. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe them!”
28Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think you can quickly persuade me to become a Christian?”
29Paul replied, “I wish to God that you and everyone listening to me today would quickly and completely become as I am (except for being a prisoner).”
30The king, the governor, Bernice, and the people who were sitting with them got up. 31As they were leaving, they said to each other, “This man isn’t doing anything for which he deserves to die or be put in prison.”
32Agrippa told Festus, “This man could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed his case to the emperor.”
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Acts of the Apostles 26
26
1Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.”
So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense: 2“I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, 3for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!
4“As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem. 5If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion. 6Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors. 7In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope! 8Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?
9“I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene.#26:9 Or Jesus of Nazareth. 10Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers#26:10 Greek many of God’s holy people. there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. 11Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus.#26:11 Greek to blaspheme. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities.
12“One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. 13About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. 14We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,#26:14a Or Hebrew. ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.#26:14b Greek It is hard for you to kick against the oxgoads.’
15“‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.
“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future. 17And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’
19“And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. 20I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do. 21Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”
24Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!”
25But Paul replied, “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth. 26And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do—”
28Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”#26:28 Or “A little more, and your arguments would make me a Christian.”
29Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”
30Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. 31As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”
32And Agrippa said to Festus, “He could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.”
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