15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.(A) I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.(B) 17 I will rescue you(C) from your own people and from the Gentiles.(D) I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes(E) and turn them from darkness to light,(F) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins(G) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’(H)

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient(I) to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus,(J) then to those in Jerusalem(K) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,(L) I preached that they should repent(M) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.(N) 21 That is why some Jews seized me(O) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.(P) 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen(Q) 23 that the Messiah would suffer(R) and, as the first to rise from the dead,(S) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”(T)

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,(U) Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning(V) is driving you insane.”

25 “I am not insane, most excellent(W) Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things,(X) and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

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