Paul’s Defense before Agrippa

26 ^(A)Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense:

² “In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; ^3 [a]especially because you are an expert in all ^(B)customs and ^[b]questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

⁴ “So then, all Jews know ^(C)my manner of life from my youth up, 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 ^(D)Pharisee ^(E)according to the strictest ^(F)sect of our religion. ⁶ And now I am ^[c]standing trial ^(G)for the hope of ^(H)the promise made by God to our fathers; ⁷ the promise ^(I)to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this ^(J)hope, O King, I am being ^(K)accused by Jews.

¹² “^[a]While so engaged ^(A)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, ^[b]brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. ¹⁴ And when we had ^(B)all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the ^[c](C)Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? ^[d]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 ^(D)stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to ^(E)appoint you a ^(F)minister and ^(G)a witness not only to the things which you have ^[e]seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; ^17 (H)rescuing you ^(I)from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, ¹⁸ to ^(J)open their eyes so that they may turn from ^(K)darkness to light and from the dominion of ^(L)Satan to God, that they may receive ^(M)forgiveness of sins and an ^(N)inheritance among those who have been sanctified by ^(O)faith in Me.’