Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord the Keeper of Israel.

A Song of Ascents.

²⁶ Now ^(A)above the expanse that was over their heads there was something ^(B)resembling a throne, like ^[a](C)lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a ^(D)man. ²⁷ Then I ^[b]noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something ^(E)like ^[c]glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. ²⁸ As the appearance of the ^(F)rainbow ^[d]in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the ^(G)glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I ^(H)fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

The Prophet’s Call

2 Then He said to me, “Son of man, ^(I)stand on your feet that I may speak with you!”

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. ⁸ Why is it considered incredible among you people ^(L)if God does raise the dead?

⁹ “So then, ^(M)I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to ^(N)the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ And this is ^[d]just what I ^(O)did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the ^[e]saints in prisons, having ^(P)received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I ^(Q)cast my vote against them. ¹¹ And ^(R)as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being ^(S)furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them ^(T)even to ^[f]foreign cities.

¹² “^[g]While so engaged ^(U)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, ^[h]brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. ¹⁴ And when we had ^(V)all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the ^[i](W)Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? ^[j]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 ^(X)stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to ^(Y)appoint you a ^(Z)minister and ^(AA)a witness not only to the things which you have ^[k]seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; ^17 (AB)rescuing you ^(AC)from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, ¹⁸ to ^(AD)open their eyes so that they may turn from ^(AE)darkness to light and from the dominion of ^(AF)Satan to God, that they may receive ^(AG)forgiveness of sins and an ^(AH)inheritance among those who have been sanctified by ^(AI)faith in Me.’