26 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and aanswered for himself:

2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall aanswer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am baccused of the Jews: 3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all ccustoms and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. 4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; 5 Which knew me dfrom the beginning, if they would testify, ethat after fthe most straitest sect of our greligion I lived ha Pharisee. 6 And now I stand and am judged for ithe hope of jthe promise made of God unto our fathers: 7 Unto which promise kour twelve tribes, linstantly serving mGod †day and night, hope nto come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am baccused of the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? 9 I verily thought with myself, othat I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 pWhich thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the qsaints did I shut up in prison, having rreceived authority from the chief priests; and swhen they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11 And tI punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and ubeing exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 12 wWhereupon xas I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in ythe Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to zmake thee aa minister and a bwitness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, cunto whom now I send thee, 18 dTo open their eyes, and to turn them efrom darkness to light, and from the fpower of Satan unto God, that they may receive gforgiveness of sins, and hinheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20 But shewed ifirst unto them of Damascus, and kat Jerusalem, and lthroughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then mto the Gentiles, that they should repent and nturn to God, and do works omeet for repentance. 21 For these causes pthe Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 22 Having therefore obtained qhelp of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to rsmall and great, saying none other things than those which sthe prophets and sMoses did say should come: 23 That Christ tshould suffer, and that he should be uthe first that should rise from the dead, and should shew xlight unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

24 And as he thus yspake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, zthou art beside thyself; much alearning doth make thee mad. 25 But he said, I am not zcmad, bmost noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and csoberness. 26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I dspeak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a eChristian. 29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except fthese bonds. 30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and gthe governor, and hBernice, and hthey that sat with them: 31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, iThis man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. 32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, jThis man might have been set at liberty, if he had not kappealed unto Caesar.