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ThenAgrippasaiduntoPaul,Thou art permitted to speakforthyself.ThenPaul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:
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I thinkmyselfhappy,kingAgrippa, because I shall answer for myself this daybeforetheetouching all the thingswhereof I am accusedof the Jews:
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Especially because I knowthee to beexpertinallcustomsandquestions which are among the Jews:wherefore I beseechthee to hearmepatiently.
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Mymanneroflifefrom my youth,whichwasat the firstamongmine own nationatJerusalem,knowall the Jews;
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Which knewme from the beginning,if they wouldtestify, thatafter the most straitestsect of ourreligion I lived a Pharisee.
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Andnow I stand and am judgedfor the hope of the promisemadeofGodunto our fathers:
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Untowhich promise our twelve tribes,instantly*serving God dayandnight,hope to come. Forwhich hope's sake,kingAgrippa, I am accusedof the Jews.
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Why should it be thought a thingincrediblewithyou,thatGod should raise the dead?
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Iverily*thought with myself, that I ought to do many thingscontraryto the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
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Which thingIalsodidinJerusalem:andmany of the saintsdidI shut up in prison, having receivedauthorityfrom the chief priests;and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
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And I punishedthemoftineverysynagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; andbeingexceedingly mad againstthem, I persecuted them evenunto*strangecities.
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Whereuponas I wenttoDamascuswithauthorityandcommissionfrom the chief priests,
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At midday*, O king, I sawin the way a light from heaven,above the brightness of the sun, shining round aboutmeand them which journeyedwithme.
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And when wewereallfallento the earth, I heard a voicespeakinguntome,andsaying in the Hebrewtongue,Saul,Saul,why persecutest thoume? it is hard for thee to kickagainst the pricks.
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AndIsaid, Who art thou, Lord?And he said, IamJesuswhomthoupersecutest.
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Butrise, andstanduponthyfeet:for I have appeared unto theefor this purpose, to makethee a ministerand a witnessboth of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
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Deliveringtheefrom the people,and from the Gentiles,untowhomnow I sendthee,
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To opentheireyes, and to turn them fromdarknesstolight,and from the power of SatanuntoGod, that they may receiveforgiveness of sins,andinheritanceamong them which are sanctified by faith that is inme.
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Whereupon, O kingAgrippa, I wasnotdisobedient unto the heavenlyvision:
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Butshewedfirst unto them ofDamascus,and at Jerusalem,andthroughoutall the coasts of Judaea,and then to the Gentiles, that they should repentandturntoGod, and doworksmeet for repentance.
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For these causes the Jewscaughtmein the temple, and went about to kill me.
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HavingthereforeobtainedhelpofGod, I continueuntothisday,witnessingboth to smallandgreat,saying none other thingsthan those whichtheprophetsandMoses did sayshouldcome:
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ThatChrist should suffer, and that he should be the first that should risefrom the dead, and shouldshewlight unto the people,and to the Gentiles.
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And as hethus spake for himself, Festussaid with a loudvoice,Paul, thou art beside thyself; muchlearning doth maketheemad*.
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But he said, I amnotmad, most nobleFestus;but speak forth the words of truthandsoberness.
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For the kingknowethofthese things, beforewhomalso I speakfreely: for I am persuadedthatnoneof these things are hidden from him;for this thingwasnotdonein a corner.
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KingAgrippa, believest thou the prophets? I knowthat thou believest.
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ThenAgrippasaiduntoPaul,Almostthoupersuadestme to be a Christian.
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AndPaulsaid, I would* to God, that notonlythou,butalsoall that hearme this day,werebothalmost*, andaltogether*suchasIam, exceptthesebonds.
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And when hehadthusspoken, the king rose up, and the governor,andBernice,and they that sat withthem:
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And when they were gone aside, they talkedbetweenthemselves,saying*, Thismandoethnothingworthy of deathor of bonds.
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ThensaidAgrippa unto Festus,Thismanmight have been set at liberty, if he hadnot appealed untoCaesar.