| Chapter 26
|
| 1 | Then Agrippa
said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched
forth the hand, and answered for himself: |
| 2 | I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall
answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am
accused of the Jews: |
| 3 |
Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which
are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. |
| 4 | My manner of life from my youth,
which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the
Jews; |
| 5 | Which knew me
from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect
of our religion I lived a Pharisee. |
|
6 | And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of
God, unto our fathers: |
| 7 |
Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope
to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. |
| 8 | Why should it be thought a
thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? |
| 9 | I verily thought with myself, that I
ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. |
| 10 | Which thing I also did in
Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received
authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my
voice against them. |
| 11 |
And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme;
and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange
cities. |
| 12 | Whereupon as
I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, |
| 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 them which journeyed with me. |
| 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
persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. |
| 15 | And I said, Who art thou,
Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. |
| 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 the
which I will appear unto thee; |
| 17
| Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now
I send thee, |
| 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 forgiveness of sins, and inheritance
among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. |
| 19 | Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not
disobedient unto the heavenly vision: |
| 20 | But shewed first unto them 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, and do works meet for repentance. |
| 21 | For these causes the Jews
caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. |
|
22 | Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue
unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things
than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: |
| 23 | That Christ should suffer, and that he
should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto
the people, and to the Gentiles. |
|
24 | And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice,
Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. |
| 25 | But he said, I am not mad, most
noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. |
| 26 | For the king knoweth of these
things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these
things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. |
| 27 | King Agrippa, believest thou
the prophets? I know that thou believest. |
| 28 | Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me
to be a Christian. |
| 29 |
And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me
this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these
bonds. |
| 30 | And when he
had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that
sat with them: |
| 31 | And
when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man
doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. |
| 32 | Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been
set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar. |
