| Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: | 1Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: |
| 2"I consider myself fortunate, that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, | 2“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews, |
| 3especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. | 3especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently. |
| 4"All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. | 4Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem. |
| 5They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee. | 5They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion. |
| 6And now I stand on trial because of the hope in what God promised to our ancestors, | 6And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers, |
| 7the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope. | 7the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews. |
| 8Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? | 8Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? |
| 9In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. | 9So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. |
| 10I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them. | 10And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them. |
| 11In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme. Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities. | 11I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. |
| 12"I was traveling to Damascus under these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests. | 12In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. |
| 13King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. | 13About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. |
| 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' | 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ |
| 15"I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "And the Lord replied: 'I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. | 15‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. |
| 16But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. | 16‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you. |
| 17I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them | 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them |
| 18to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' | 18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’ |
| 19"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. | 19So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. |
| 20Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. | 20First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance. |
| 21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me. | 21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. |
| 22To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place-- | 22But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen: |
| 23that the Messiah must suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles." | 23that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.” |
| 24As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, "You're out of your mind, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad." | 24At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!” |
| 25But Paul replied, "I'm not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I'm speaking words of truth and good judgment. | 25But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety. |
| 26For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak boldly to him. For I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner. | 26For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. |
| 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe." | 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” |
| 28Agrippa said to Paul, "Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?" | 28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?” |
| 29"I wish before God," replied Paul, "that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am--except for these chains." | 29“Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.” |
| 30The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, | 30Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them. |
| 31and when they had left they talked with each other and said, "This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment." | 31On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.” |
| 32Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar." | 32And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.” |
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