New Living Translation

King James Bible

1Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.” So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense:

1Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

2“I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders,

2I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

3for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!

3Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

4“As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem.

4My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

5If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion.

5Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors.

6And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

7In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope!

7Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

8Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?

8Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

9“I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene.

9I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death.

10Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

11Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities.

11And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

12“One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests.

12Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

13About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions.

13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

14We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will. ’

14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

15“‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.

15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future.

16But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

17 And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles

17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’

18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

19“And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven.

19Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

20I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.

20But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

21Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me.

21For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

22But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen—

22Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

23that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”

23That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

24Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!”

24And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

25But Paul replied, “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth.

25But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

26And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner!

26For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do—”

27King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

28Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

28Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

29Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”

29And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

30Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left.

30And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

31As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”

31And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

32And Agrippa said to Festus, “He could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.”

32Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.