| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: | 1So Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul held 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"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, |
| 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. | 3because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversial issues of the Jews. Therefore I ask you 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. | 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 6And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. | 6And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, |
| 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. | 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! |
| 8Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? | 8Why do you people think it is unbelievable that God raises the dead? |
| 9“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. | 9Of course, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. |
| 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: 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 12“While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, | 12"While doing this very thing, as I was going to Damascus with authority and complete power from 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 along the road, Your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining everywhere around me and those traveling with me. |
| 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.’ | 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.' |
| 15So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. | 15So I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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, to whom I am sending you |
| 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 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.' |
| 19“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, | 19"Therefore, 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. | 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. |
| 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 were trying 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— | 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: |
| 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 was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both 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!” | 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!" |
| 25But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. | 25But Paul replied, "I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, but am speaking true and rational words. |
| 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 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. |
| 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” | 27Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe." |
| 28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” | 28Agrippa said to Paul, "In such a short time are you persuading me 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.” | 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." |
| 30When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them; | 30So the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them, |
| 31and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.” | 31and as they were leaving they said to one another, "This man is not doing anything deserving death or imprisonment." |
| 32Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” | 32Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar." |
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