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.^(A) 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.^{(B) 17} I will rescue you^(C) from your own people and from the Gentiles.^(D) I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes^(E) and turn them from darkness to light,^(F) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins^(G) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’^(H)

¹⁹ “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient^(I) to the vision from heaven. ²⁰ First to those in Damascus,^(J) then to those in Jerusalem^(K) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,^(L) I preached that they should repent^(M) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.^{(N) 21} That is why some Jews seized me^(O) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.^{(P) 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^(Q)— ²³ that the Messiah would suffer^(R) and, as the first to rise from the dead,^(S) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”^(T)

²⁴ At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,^(U) Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning^(V) is driving you insane.”

²⁵ “I am not insane, most excellent^(W) Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. ²⁶ The king is familiar with these things,^(X) and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”