1And Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense: 2I consider myself fortunate, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you this day concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews: 3especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. 4My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem, all the Jews know; 5having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee. 6And now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; 7to which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king! 8Why is it judged incredible by you, if God raises the dead? 9I truly thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Yeshua of Nazareth. 10And this I also did in Jerusalem: and I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them. 11And punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 12In this connection, as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. 14And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? it is hard for you to kick against the goads. 15And I said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Yeshua whom you persecute. 16But arise, and stand upon your feet: for to this end I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness both of the things in which you have seen me, and of the things in which I will appear to you; 17delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, 18to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me. 19Therefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision: 20but declared both to those of Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judæa, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. 21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me. 22Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come; 23that the Messiah must suffer, and that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles. 24And as he was making his defense this way, Festus says with a loud voice, Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you mad. 25But Paul says, I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus; but I speak words of truth and soberness. 26For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this has not been done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe. 28And Agrippa said to Paul, With but little persuasion you would make me a Christian. 29And Paul said, I would to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these bonds. 30And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them: 31and when they had withdrawn, they spoke one to another, saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds. 32And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been set free, if he had not appealed to Cæsar.