| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1So Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul held out his hand and began his defense: | 1Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: |
| 2"Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, | 2"King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, |
| 3because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversial issues of the Jews. Therefore I ask you to listen to me patiently. | 3and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently. |
| 4Now all the Jews know the way I lived from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. | 4"The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. |
| 5They know, because they have known me from time past, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party 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 conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. |
| 6And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, | 6And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. |
| 7a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, Your Majesty! | 7This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. |
| 8Why do you people think it is unbelievable that God raises the dead? | 8Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? |
| 9Of course, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. | 9"I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. |
| 10And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote against them when they were sentenced to death. | 10And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord's people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. |
| 11I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged at them, I went to persecute them even in foreign cities. | 11Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities. |
| 12"While doing this very thing, as I was going to Damascus with authority and complete power from the chief priests, | 12"On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. |
| 13about noon along the road, Your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining everywhere around me and those traveling with me. | 13About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. |
| 14When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself by kicking against the goads.' | 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' |
| 15So I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. | 15"Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' " '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 reason, to designate you in advance as a servant and witness to the things you have seen and to the things in which I will appear to you. | 16Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. |
| 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you | 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 turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' | 18to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' |
| 19"Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, | 19"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. |
| 20but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance. | 20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. |
| 21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and were trying to kill me. | 21That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. |
| 22I have experienced help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what the prophets and Moses said was going to happen: | 22But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen-- |
| 23that the Christ was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles." | 23that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles." |
| 24As Paul was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed loudly, "You have lost your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!" | 24At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane." |
| 25But Paul replied, "I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, but am speaking true and rational words. | 25"I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. |
| 26For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely to him, because I cannot believe that any of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. | 26The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. |
| 27Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe." | 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do." |
| 28Agrippa said to Paul, "In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?" | 28Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" |
| 29Paul replied, "I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains." | 29Paul replied, "Short time or long--I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains." |
| 30So the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them, | 30The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. |
| 31and as they were leaving they said to one another, "This man is not doing anything deserving death or imprisonment." | 31After they left the room, they began saying to one another, "This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment." |
| 32Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar." | 32Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." |
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