1And Agrippa said unto Paul , Thou art permitted to speak for thyself . Then Paul stretched forth his hand , and made his defence: 2I think myself happy , king Agrippa, that I am to make my defence before thee this day touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews : 3especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews : wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently . 4My manner of life then from my youth up , which was from the beginning among mine own nation and at Jerusalem , know all the Jews ; 5having knowledge of me from the first , if they be willing to testify , that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee . 6And now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers ; 7unto which promise our twelve tribes , earnestly serving God night and day , hope to attain . And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews , O king ! 8Why is it judged incredible with you , if God doth raise the dead ? 9I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth . 10And this I also did in Jerusalem : and I both shut up many of the saints in prisons , having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them . 11And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues , I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them , I persecuted them even unto foreign cities .
The Encounter with Christ
12Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13at midday , O king , I saw on the way a light from heaven , above the brightness of the sun , shining round about me and them that journeyed with me . 14And when we were all fallen to the earth , I heard a voice saying unto me in the Hebrew language , Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me ? it is hard for thee to kick against the goad. 15And I said , Who art thou , Lord ? And the Lord said , I am Jesus whom thou persecutest . 16But arise, and stand upon thy feet : for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me , and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee; 17delivering thee from the people , and from the Gentiles , unto whom I send thee, 18to open their eyes , that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God , that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me .
Paul's Mission and Message
19Wherefore , O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision : 20but declared both to them of Damascus first , and at Jerusalem , and throughout all the country of Judæa , and also to the Gentiles , that they should repent and turn to God , doing works worthy of repentance . 21For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple , and assayed to kill me . 22Having therefore obtained the help that is from God , I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great , saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come ; 23how that the Christ must suffer , and how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles .
Festus and Agrippa's Response
24And as he thus made his defence, Festus saith with a loud voice , Paul , thou art mad ; thy much learning is turning thee mad . 25But Paul saith , I am not mad , most excellent Festus ; but speak forth words of truth and soberness . 26For the king knoweth of these things , unto whom also I speak freely : for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him ; for this hath not been done in a corner . 27King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets ? I know that thou believest . 28And Agrippa said unto Paul , With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian . 29And Paul said , I would to God , that whether with little or with much , not thou only , but also all that hear me this day , might become such as I am , except these bonds . 30And the king rose up , and the governor , and Bernice, and they that sat with them : 31and when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another , saying , This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds . 32And Agrippa said unto Festus , This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cæsar .