International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Then Agrippa told Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense.

1Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense:

2"I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, that I can defend myself today against all the accusations of the Jewish leaders,

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;

3since you are especially familiar with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen patiently to me.

3especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4All the Jews know how I lived from the earliest days of my youth with my own people and in Jerusalem.

4"So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem;

5They have known for a long time, if they would but testify to it, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the standards of our strictest religious party.

5since they have known about me 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 here on trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our ancestors.

6"And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers;

7Our twelve tribes, worshiping day and night with intense devotion, hope to attain it. It is because of this hope, O King, that I am accused by the Jews.

7the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews.

8Why is it thought incredible by all of you that God should raise the dead?

8"Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?

9Indeed, I myself thought it my duty to take extreme measures against the name of Jesus from Nazareth.

9"So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10That is what I did in Jerusalem. I received authority from the high priests and locked many of the saints in prison. And when I cast my vote against them, they were put to death.

10"And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them.

11I would even punish them frequently in every synagogue and try to make them blaspheme. Raging furiously against them, I would hunt them down even in distant cities.

11"And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.

12"That is how I happened to be traveling to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests.

12"While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,

13On the road at noon, O King, I saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun. It flashed around me and those who were traveling with me.

13at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.

14"All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the cattle prods.'

14"And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

15"I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "The Lord answered, 'I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

15"And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

16But get up and stand on your feet, because I've appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you've seen and of what I'll show you.

16'But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;

17I'll continue to rescue you from your people and from the gentiles to whom I'm sending you.

17rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,

18You will help them understand and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's control to God, so that their sins will be forgiven and they will receive 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 dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'

19"And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

19"So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20Instead, I first told the people in Damascus and Jerusalem, then all the people in Judea—and after that the gentiles—to repent, turn to God, and perform deeds that are consistent with such repentance.

20but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.

21For this reason the Jewish leaders grabbed me in the Temple and kept trying to kill me.

21"For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.

22I've had help from God to this day, and so I stand here to testify to both the powerful and the lowly alike, stating only what the prophets and Moses said would happen—

22"So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place;

23that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead and would bring light both to our people and to the gentiles."

23that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."

24As he continued his defense, Festus shouted, "You're out of your mind, Paul! Too much education is driving you crazy!"

24While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad."

25But Paul said, "I'm not out of my mind, Your Excellency Festus. I'm reporting what is absolutely true.

25But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.

26Indeed, the king knows about these things, and I can speak to him freely. For I'm certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this wasn't done in a corner.

26"For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.

27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe them!"

27"King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do."

28Agrippa asked Paul, "Can you so quickly persuade me to become a Christian?"

28Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian."

29Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I wish to God that not only you but everyone listening to me today would become what I am—except for these chains!"

29And Paul said, "I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains."

30Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with him got up.

30The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them,

31As they were leaving, they began to say to each other, "This man hasn't been doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment."

31and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, "This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment."

32Agrippa told Festus, "This man could have been set free if he hadn't appealed to the emperor."

32And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org