Acts 26:12-32

Paul Tells of His Conversion

12 "In this connection ¹I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.

13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me.

14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me ²in the Hebrew language,^[a] 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

15 And I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

16 But rise and ³stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, ⁴to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you,

17 ⁵delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles--⁶to whom I ⁷am sending you

18 ⁸to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from ⁹the power of Satan to God, that they may receive ¹⁰forgiveness of sins and ¹¹a place among those who are sanctified ¹²by faith in me.'

19 "Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to ¹³the heavenly vision,

20 but declared first ¹⁴to those in Damascus, ¹⁵then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also ¹⁶to the Gentiles, that they should ¹⁷repent and ¹⁸turn to God, performing deeds ¹⁹in keeping with their repentance.

21 For this reason ²⁰the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

22 ²¹To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so ²²I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what ²³the prophets and Moses said would come to pass:

23 ²⁴that the Christ ²⁵must suffer and that, ²⁶by being the first ²⁷to rise from the dead, ²⁸he would proclaim ²⁹light both to our people and to the Gentiles."

24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, ³⁰you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind."

25 But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, ³¹most excellent Festus, but I am speaking ³²true and ³³rational words.

26 For ³⁴the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe."

28 And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be ³⁵a Christian?"^[b]

29 And Paul said, "Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day ³⁶might become such as I am--except for ³⁷these chains."

30 Then the king rose, and ³⁸the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them.

31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, ³⁹"This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment."

32 And Agrippa said to Festus, ⁴⁰"This man could have been set ⁴¹free if he had not appealed ⁴²to Caesar."