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Acts 25:23-26
World English Bible
Acts 25:23-26
World English Bible
23 So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and the principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him, 26 of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examination, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him.”
26 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.”
Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense. 2 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews, 3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
4 “Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem; 5 having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6 Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa! 8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?
9 “I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them. 11 Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12 “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me. 14 When we had all fallen to the earth, 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 against the goads.’
15 “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you; 17 delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, 18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen, 23 how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”
Acts 25:23-26
New International Version
Acts 25:23-26
New International Version
Paul Before Agrippa(A)
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice(B) came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community(C) has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.(D) 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death,(E) but because he made his appeal to the Emperor(F) I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”
26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”(G)
So Paul motioned with his hand(H) and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you(I) today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,(J) 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs(K) and controversies.(L) Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,(M) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time(N) and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect(O) of our religion, living as a Pharisee.(P) 6 And now it is because of my hope(Q) in what God has promised our ancestors(R) that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes(S) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.(T) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.(U) 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?(V)
9 “I too was convinced(W) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose(X) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.(Y) 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people(Z) in prison,(AA) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.(AB) 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,(AC) and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice(AD) saying to me in Aramaic,[a](AE) ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
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.(AF) 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.(AG) 17 I will rescue you(AH) from your own people and from the Gentiles.(AI) I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes(AJ) and turn them from darkness to light,(AK) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins(AL) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’(AM)
19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient(AN) to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus,(AO) then to those in Jerusalem(AP) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,(AQ) I preached that they should repent(AR) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.(AS) 21 That is why some Jews seized me(AT) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.(AU) 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(AV)— 23 that the Messiah would suffer(AW) and, as the first to rise from the dead,(AX) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”(AY)
Footnotes
- Acts 26:14 Or Hebrew
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