Book of Common Prayer

26 ¹ And Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted to you to speak concerning yourself ”.

Paul Says He Is Being Judged For His View of The Promise All Israel Awaits

Then Paul, having stretched-out his hand, was speaking-a-defense: ² “King Agrippa, I regard myself fortunate— being about to speak-a-defense before you today concerning everything of which I am being accused by the Jews, ³ especially you being^[a] an expert of all of both the customs and issues in relation to the Jews. Therefore I beg that you listen-to me patiently. ⁴ Indeed then, all the Jews know my manner-of-life from youth— it having taken place from the first in my nation and in Jerusalem, ⁵ they knowing me beforehand^[b] from-the-beginning if they are willing to testify— that I lived as a Pharisee in accordance with the strictest sect of our religion. ⁶ And now I am standing here being judged for the hope of the promise having been made by God to our fathers, ⁷ to which our twelve tribes are hoping to attain while worshiping night and day with fervency^[c]!— concerning which hope I am being accused by the Jews, King. ⁸ Why is it being judged unbelievable^[d] among you^[e] people if God raises the dead?

At First I Persecuted This Name. Then Jesus Spoke To Me and Sent Me

⁹ “So indeed^[f], I thought to myself that I ought-to do many things contrary^[g] to the name of Jesus the Nazarene— ¹⁰ which indeed I did in Jerusalem. And I both locked-up many of the saints in prisons, having received the authority from the chief priests, and while they were being killed^[h], cast my vote against them. ¹¹ And while punishing them often throughout all the synagogues, I was compelling^[i] them to blaspheme. And being exceedingly enraged at them, I was persecuting them as far as even to the outside cities— ¹² during which, while proceeding to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests, ¹³ in the middle of the day along the road, King, I saw a light from heaven beyond the brightness of the sun, having shined-around me and the ones going with me. ¹⁴ And we all having fallen down to the ground, 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^[j] against the goads’. ¹⁵ And I said, ‘Who are You, sir?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus Whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But arise and stand on your feet. For I appeared to you for this— to appoint you as a servant, and a witness both of which things you saw as to Me and of which things I shall be seen by you ¹⁷ while rescuing you from the [Jewish] people, and from the Gentiles— to whom I am sending you forth ¹⁸ to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among the ones having been sanctified by faith in Me’.

So I Proclaimed His Message To The Gentiles, And The Jews Want Me Dead

¹⁹ “Hence, King Agrippa, I did not become^[k] disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but was declaring to the ones both in Damascus first and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. ²¹ For these reasons, Jews, having seized me while being in the temple, were trying to murder me. ²² Therefore, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day^[l] bearing-witness to both small and great, saying nothing outside of the things which both the Prophets and Moses spoke about things going to take place— ²³ whether^[m] the Christ is subject-to-suffering^[n]; whether He first^[o] from^[p] a resurrection from the dead is going to proclaim light both to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles”.

Jesus Casts Demons Out of a Man Into a Herd of Pigs. The Locals Beg Him To Leave

²⁶ And they sailed-down to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And He having gone out on the land, a certain man from the city met Him, having demons. And for a considerable time he did not put-on a garment, and was not staying in a house, but in the tombs. ²⁸ And having seen Jesus, having cried out, he fell before Him and said with a loud voice, “What do^[a] I have to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most-High God? I beg You, do not torment me”. ²⁹ For He ordered the unclean spirit to come out from the man. For it had seized him many times. And he was being bound with chains and shackles^[b], while being guarded. And tearing the bonds, he was being driven by the demon into the desolate places. ³⁰ And Jesus asked him, “What is the name for you?” And the one said, “Legion^[c]”, because many demons entered into him. ³¹ And they were begging Him that He not command them to go into the abyss. ³² Now there was a herd of many pigs there feeding on the mountain. And they begged Him that He permit them to enter into those pigs. And He permitted them. ³³ And the demons, having come out from the man, entered into the pigs. And the herd rushed down the steep-bank into the lake, and was drowned. ³⁴ And the ones feeding^[d] them, having seen the thing having happened, fled and reported it in the city and in the fields. ³⁵ And they came out to see the thing having happened. And they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons went out sitting— having been clothed, and being sound-minded— at the feet of Jesus. And they became afraid. ³⁶ And the ones having seen reported to them how the one having been demon-possessed was restored. ³⁷ And the whole crowd from the surrounding-region of the Gerasenes asked Him to depart from them because they were being gripped^[e] with great fear. And He, having gotten into a boat, returned. ³⁸ But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him to be with Him. But He sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your house and be relating^[f] all-that God did for you”. And he departed, proclaiming throughout the whole city all-that Jesus did for him.