Acts 25:23-26
Christian Standard Bible
Paul before Agrippa
23 So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice(A) came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the military commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. 24 Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has appealed to me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer.(B) 25 I found that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.(C) 26 I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.”
Paul’s Defense before Agrippa
26 Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: 2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.(D) 5 They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.(E) 6 And now I stand on trial because of the hope(F) in what God promised(G) to our ancestors, 7 the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope.(H) 8 Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? 9 In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.(I) 10 I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them.(J) 11 In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme.(K) Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
Paul’s Account of His Conversion and Commission
12 “I was traveling to Damascus under(L) these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests. 13 King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic,[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’(M)
15 “I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.(N) 17 I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them(O) 18 to open their eyes(P) so that they may turn[b] from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’(Q)
19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.(R) 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me. 22 To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place(S)— 23 that the Messiah would suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”(T)
Acts 25:23-26
New American Standard Bible
Paul before Agrippa
23 So, on the next day when (A)Agrippa and (B)Bernice came amid great pomp and entered the auditorium, [a]accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought before them. 24 And Festus *said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man about whom (C)all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that (D)he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had committed (E)nothing deserving death; and since he himself (F)appealed to [b]the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26 [c]Yet, I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore, I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him as well.”
Paul’s Defense before Agrippa
26 (G)Now Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul extended his hand and proceeded to make his defense:
2 “Regarding all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, 3 [d]especially because you are an expert in all (H)customs and [e]questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “So then, all Jews know (I)my way of life since my youth, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and in Jerusalem, 5 since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a (J)Pharisee (K)according to the strictest (L)sect of our religion. 6 And now I am standing trial (M)for the hope of (N)the promise made by God to our fathers; 7 the promise (O)to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. For this (P)hope, O king, I am being (Q)accused by Jews. 8 Why is it considered incredible among you people (R)if God raises the dead?
9 “So (S)I thought to myself that I had to act in strong opposition to (T)the name of Jesus [f]of Nazareth. 10 And this is [g]just what I (U)did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the [h]saints in prisons, after (V)receiving authority from the chief priests, but I also (W)cast my vote against them when they were being put to death. 11 And (X)as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was (Y)extremely enraged at them, I kept pursuing them (Z)even to [i]foreign cities.
12 “[j]While so engaged, (AA)as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, [k]brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 And when we had (AB)all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the [l](AC)Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? [m]It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up and (AD)stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to (AE)appoint you as a (AF)servant and (AG)a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, 17 (AH)rescuing you (AI)from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to (AJ)open their eyes so that they may turn from (AK)darkness to light, and from the [n]power of (AL)Satan to God, that they may receive (AM)forgiveness of sins and an (AN)inheritance among those who have been sanctified by (AO)faith in Me.’
19 “For that reason, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but continually proclaimed (AP)to those in Damascus first, and (AQ)in Jerusalem, and then all the region of Judea, and even (AR)to the Gentiles, that they are to (AS)repent and turn to God, performing deeds (AT)consistent with repentance. 21 For these reasons some Jews (AU)seized me in the temple and tried (AV)to murder me. 22 So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day (AW)testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what (AX)the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place, 23 as to (AY)whether the [o]Christ was [p]to suffer, and whether, as (AZ)first from the resurrection of the dead, He would proclaim (BA)light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
Footnotes
- Acts 25:23 Lit and with
- Acts 25:25 See note v 21
- Acts 25:26 Lit About whom I
- Acts 26:3 Or because you are especially expert
- Acts 26:3 Or controversial issues
- Acts 26:9 Or the Nazarene
- Acts 26:10 Lit also
- Acts 26:10 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Acts 26:11 Or outlying
- Acts 26:12 Lit In which things
- Acts 26:13 Lit above the brightness of
- Acts 26:14 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
- Acts 26:14 An idiom referring to an animal’s futile resistance to being prodded with a spiked stick
- Acts 26:18 Or dominion
- Acts 26:23 I.e., Messiah
- Acts 26:23 Lit subject to suffering
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