Festus Introduces Paul, Hoping To Learn Something To Write To Caesar

²³ So on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice having come with great pageantry, and having entered into the auditorium with both commanders^[a] and prominent men of the city, and Festus having given-orders— Paul was brought. ²⁴ And Festus says, “King Agrippa, and all the men being present-with us— you see this one concerning whom the whole assembly of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer, ²⁵ but I found-out that he had committed nothing worthy of death. And this one himself having appealed-to the Emperor, I determined to send him— ²⁶ concerning whom, I do not have something certain to write to my lord. Therefore I brought him before you, and especially before you King Agrippa, so that the examination having taken place, I may have something I may write. ²⁷ For it seems unreasonable to me, while sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him”. 26 ¹ And Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted to you to speak concerning yourself ”.

Paul Says He Is Being Judged For His View of The Promise All Israel Awaits

Then Paul, having stretched-out his hand, was speaking-a-defense: ² “King Agrippa, I regard myself fortunate— being about to speak-a-defense before you today concerning everything of which I am being accused by the Jews, ³ especially you being^[b] an expert of all of both the customs and issues in relation to the Jews. Therefore I beg that you listen-to me patiently. ⁴ Indeed then, all the Jews know my manner-of-life from youth— it having taken place from the first in my nation and in Jerusalem, ⁵ they knowing me beforehand^[c] from-the-beginning if they are willing to testify— that I lived as a Pharisee in accordance with the strictest sect of our religion. ⁶ And now I am standing here being judged for the hope of the promise having been made by God to our fathers, ⁷ to which our twelve tribes are hoping to attain while worshiping night and day with fervency^[d]!— concerning which hope I am being accused by the Jews, King. ⁸ Why is it being judged unbelievable^[e] among you^[f] people if God raises the dead?

At First I Persecuted This Name. Then Jesus Spoke To Me and Sent Me

⁹ “So indeed^[g], I thought to myself that I ought-to do many things contrary^[h] to the name of Jesus the Nazarene— ¹⁰ which indeed I did in Jerusalem. And I both locked-up many of the saints in prisons, having received the authority from the chief priests, and while they were being killed^[i], cast my vote against them. ¹¹ And while punishing them often throughout all the synagogues, I was compelling^[j] them to blaspheme. And being exceedingly enraged at them, I was persecuting them as far as even to the outside cities— ¹² during which, while proceeding to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests, ¹³ in the middle of the day along the road, King, I saw a light from heaven beyond the brightness of the sun, having shined-around me and the ones going with me. ¹⁴ And we all having fallen down to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick^[k] against the goads’. ¹⁵ And I said, ‘Who are You, sir?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus Whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But arise and stand on your feet. For I appeared to you for this— to appoint you as a servant, and a witness both of which things you saw as to Me and of which things I shall be seen by you ¹⁷ while rescuing you from the [Jewish] people, and from the Gentiles— to whom I am sending you forth ¹⁸ to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among the ones having been sanctified by faith in Me’.

So I Proclaimed His Message To The Gentiles, And The Jews Want Me Dead

¹⁹ “Hence, King Agrippa, I did not become^[l] disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but was declaring to the ones both in Damascus first and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. ²¹ For these reasons, Jews, having seized me while being in the temple, were trying to murder me. ²² Therefore, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day^[m] bearing-witness to both small and great, saying nothing outside of the things which both the Prophets and Moses spoke about things going to take place— ²³ whether^[n] the Christ is subject-to-suffering^[o]; whether He first^[p] from^[q] a resurrection from the dead is going to proclaim light both to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles”.