| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: | 1Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: |
| 2“I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by 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 because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. | 3especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently. |
| 4“My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. | 4Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem. |
| 5They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived 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 and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. | 6And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers, |
| 7To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. | 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 should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? | 8Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? |
| 9“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary 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. |
| 10This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote 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. |
| 11And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted 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“While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, | 12In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. |
| 13at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed 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. |
| 14And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘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.’ |
| 15So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. | 15‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. |
| 16But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. | 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 deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, | 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them |
| 18to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance 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“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, | 19So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. |
| 20but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting 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 these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. | 21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. |
| 22Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come— | 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 Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish 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.” |
| 24Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning 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 he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. | 25But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety. |
| 26For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing 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 that you do believe.” | 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” |
| 28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” | 28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?” |
| 29And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such 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.” |
| 30When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them; | 30Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them. |
| 31and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.” | 31On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.” |
| 32Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free 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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