²³ And on the morrow, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought forth.

²⁴ And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all men who are here present with us, ye see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have applied to me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵ But when I found that he hath committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.

²⁶ Of him I have nothing certain to write unto my lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before thee, O King Agrippa, that after we have examined him I might have something to write.

²⁷ For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not also to specify the crimes laid against him.”

26 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, “Thou art permitted to speak for thyself.” Then Paul stretched forth his hand and answered for himself:

² “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee concerning all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews,

³ especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

⁴ “My manner of life from my youth, which was from the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews.

⁵ They knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.

⁶ And now I stand and am judged because of the hope of the promise made by God unto our fathers,

⁷ unto which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God day and night, hope to come. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

⁸ Why should it be thought an incredible thing by you that God should raise the dead?

⁹ “I myself verily thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth,

¹⁰ which things 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 often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly maddened against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.

¹² “Thereupon, 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, brighter than the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and those who journeyed with me.

¹⁴ And when we had 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 goads.’

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 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 an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith that is in Me.’

¹⁹ “Thereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,

²⁰ but showed first unto those at Damascus and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, 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 seized me in the temple and went about to kill me.

²² Having therefore obtained the help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said should come:

²³ that Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first who should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles.”