Acts 26:4-12

English Standard Version

^4 (A)“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among ^(B)my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. ⁵ They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that ^(C)according to the strictest ^(D)party of our ^(E)religion I have lived as ^(F)a Pharisee. ⁶ And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in ^(G)the promise made by God to our fathers, ^7 (H)to which ^(I)our twelve tribes hope to ^(J)attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope ^(K)I am accused by Jews, O king! ⁸ Why is it thought ^(L)incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

^9 (M)“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of ^(N)Jesus of Nazareth. ^10 (O)And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority ^(P)from the chief priests, but ^(Q)when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. ¹¹ And ^(R)I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them ^(S)blaspheme, and ^(T)in raging fury against them I ^(U)persecuted them even to foreign cities.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

¹² “In this connection ^(V)I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.