Acts 25:13-26:11

New King James Version

Paul Before Agrippa

¹³ And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. ¹⁴ When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying: ^(A)“There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, ^15 (B)about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him. ^16 (C)To them I answered, ‘It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man ^[a]to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.’ ¹⁷ Therefore when they had come together, ^(D)without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in. ¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I ^[b]supposed, ^19 (E)but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ²⁰ And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters. ²¹ But when Paul ^(F)appealed to be reserved for the decision of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar.”

²² Then ^(G)Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.”

“Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”

²³ So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great ^[c]pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus’ command ^(H)Paul was brought in. ²⁴ And Festus said: “King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom ^(I)the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was ^(J)not fit to live any longer. ²⁵ But when I found that ^(K)he had committed nothing deserving of death, ^(L)and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. ²⁶ I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. ²⁷ For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.”

Paul’s Early Life

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.”

So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: ² “I think myself ^(M)happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer ^(N)for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am ^(O)accused by the Jews, ³ especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

⁴ “My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. ⁵ They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to ^(P)the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. ^6 (Q)And now I stand and am judged for the hope of ^(R)the promise made by God to our fathers. ⁷ To this promise ^(S)our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God ^(T)night and day, ^(U)hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. ⁸ Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?

^9 (V)“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things ^[d]contrary to the name of ^(W)Jesus of Nazareth. ^10 (X)This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority ^(Y)from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. ^11 (Z)And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.