Acts 25:23-26
Legacy Standard Bible
Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice
23 So, on the next day when (A)Agrippa came [a]together with (B)Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the hall [b]accompanied by the [c]commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the order of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus *said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom (C)all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that (D)he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had committed (E)nothing worthy of death, and since he himself (F)appealed to [d]the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26 [e]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 also the charges against him.”
26 (G)Now Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul, stretching out his hand, began to make his defense:
2 “Concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I regard myself blessed, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; 3 [f]especially because you are an expert in all (H)customs and [g]questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “So then, all Jews know (I)my manner of life from my youth, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at 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 here being tried (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. And for this (P)hope, O King, I am being (Q)accused by Jews. 8 Why is it considered unbelievable among all of you (R)if God does raise the dead?
9 “So then, (S)I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to (T)the name of Jesus the Nazarene. 10 And this is [h]just what I (U)did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the [i]saints in prisons, having (V)received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I (W)cast my vote against them. 11 And (X)as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being (Y)furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them (Z)even to [j]foreign cities.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
12 “[k]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, [l]brighter than the sun, shining all 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 [m](AC)Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? [n]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 rise up and (AD)stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to (AE)appoint you a (AF)servant and (AG)a witness not only to the things which you have [o]seen, 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 authority 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 “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but kept declaring both (AP)to those of Damascus first, and also (AQ)at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even (AR)to the Gentiles, that they should (AS)repent and turn to God, practicing deeds (AT)appropriate to repentance. 21 For this reason some Jews (AU)seized me in the temple and were trying (AV)to put me to death. 22 Therefore, having obtained help from God to this day, I stand here (AW)bearing witness both to small and great, stating nothing but what (AX)the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23 [p](AY)that the [q]Christ was [r]to suffer, and [s]that (AZ)as first of the resurrection from the dead, He was going to proclaim (BA)light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
Footnotes
- Acts 25:23 Lit and Bernice
- Acts 25:23 Lit and with
- Acts 25:23 Military leader over 1,000 soldiers
- Acts 25:25 v 21, note 1
- Acts 25:26 Lit About whom I have nothing definite
- Acts 26:3 Or because you are especially expert
- Acts 26:3 Or controversial issues
- Acts 26:10 Lit also
- Acts 26:10 Or holy ones
- Acts 26:11 Or outlying
- Acts 26:12 Lit In which things
- Acts 26:13 Lit above the brightness of
- Acts 26:14 Jewish Aramaic
- Acts 26:14 An idiom referring to an animal’s futile resistance to being prodded with goads
- Acts 26:16 Two early mss seen Me
- Acts 26:23 Lit whether
- Acts 26:23 Messiah
- Acts 26:23 Lit subject to suffering
- Acts 26:23 Lit whether
Acts 25:23-26
Common English Bible
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great fanfare. They entered the auditorium with the military commanders and the city’s most prominent men. Festus then ordered that Paul be brought in. 24 Festus said, “King Agrippa and everyone present with us: You see this man! The entire Jewish community, both here and in Jerusalem, has appealed to me concerning him. They’ve been calling for his immediate death. 25 I’ve found that he has done nothing deserving death. When he appealed to His Majesty, I decided to send him to Rome. 26 I have nothing definite to write to our lord emperor. Therefore, I’ve brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this investigation, I might have something to write. 27 After all, it would be foolish to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”
Paul’s defense before Agrippa
26 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.”
So Paul gestured with his hand and began his defense. 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself especially fortunate that I stand before you today as I offer my defense concerning all the accusations the Jews have brought against me. 3 This is because you understand well all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I ask you to listen to me patiently. 4 Every Jew knows the way of life I have followed since my youth because, from the beginning, I was among my people and in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time. If they wanted to, they could testify that I followed the way of life set out by the most exacting group of our religion. I am a Pharisee. 6 Today I am standing trial because of the hope in the promise God gave our ancestors. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes hope to receive as they earnestly worship night and day. The Jews are accusing me, King Agrippa, because of this hope! 8 Why is it inconceivable to you that God raises the dead?
9 “I really thought that I ought to oppose the name of Jesus the Nazarene in every way possible. 10 And that’s exactly what I did in Jerusalem. I locked up many of God’s holy people in prison under the authority of the chief priests. When they were condemned to death, I voted against them. 11 In one synagogue after another—indeed, in all the synagogues—I would often torture them, compelling them to slander God. My rage bordered on the hysterical as I pursued them, even to foreign cities.
12 “On one such journey, I was going to Damascus with the full authority of the chief priests. 13 While on the road at midday, King Agrippa, I saw a light from heaven shining around me and my traveling companions. That light was brighter than the sun. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice that said to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you harassing me? It’s hard for you to kick against a spear.’[a] 15 Then I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are harassing. 16 Get up! Stand on your feet! I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you as my servant and witness of what you have seen and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you 18 to open their eyes. Then they can turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are made holy by faith in me.’
19 “So, King Agrippa, I wasn’t disobedient to that heavenly vision. 20 Instead, I proclaimed first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to the whole region of Judea and to the Gentiles. My message was that they should change their hearts and lives and turn to God, and that they should demonstrate this change in their behavior. 21 Because of this, some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to murder me. 22 God has helped me up to this very day. Therefore, I stand here and bear witness to the lowly and the great. I’m saying nothing more than what the Prophets and Moses declared would happen: 23 that the Christ would suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to my people and to the Gentiles.”
Footnotes
- Acts 26:14 Or goads
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