Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Paul before Agrippa

26 Agrippa addressed Paul.

“You are permitted,” he said, “to speak for yourself.”

Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense.

² “I consider myself blessed, King Agrippa,” he said, “to have the chance to speak before you today in my defense concerning all the things of which the Jews have charged me, ³ in particular because I know you are an expert on all matters of Jewish customs and disputes. I beg you, therefore, to give me a generous hearing.

⁴ “All the Jews know my manner of life. I lived from my earliest days among my own people and in Jerusalem. ⁵ They have known already for a long time (if they are willing to testify!) that I lived as a Pharisee, according to the strictest sect of our religion. ⁶ And now I stand accused because of the hope of the promise made by God to our ancestors, ⁷ the hope for which our twelve tribes wait with earnest longing in their worship night and day. And it is this hope, O king, for which I am now accused by the Jews! ⁸ Why should any of you judge it unbelievable that God would raise the dead?

⁹ “I thought I was under obligation to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth, ¹⁰ and that is what I did in Jerusalem. I received authority from the chief priests to shut up many of God’s people in prison, and when they were condemned to death I cast my vote against them. ¹¹ I punished them many times in all the synagogues, and forced many of them to blaspheme. I became more and more furious against them, and even pursued them to cities in other lands.”