14
"And when we had 1allfallen to the ground, I heard a voicesaying to me in the 2Hebrewdialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kickagainst the goads.'
15
"And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lordsaid, 'I amJesuswhom you are persecuting.
16
'But get up and 3stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to 4appoint you a 5minister and 6a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;
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7rescuing you 8from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
18
to 9open their eyes so that they may turn from 10darkness to light and from the dominion of 11Satan to God, that they may receive12forgiveness of sins and an 13inheritanceamongthose who have been sanctified by 14faith in Me.'
19
"So, KingAgrippa, I did not provedisobedient to the heavenlyvision,
20
but kept declaringboth15to those of Damascusfirst, and also 16at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even 17to the Gentiles, that they should 18repent and turn to God, performingdeeds19appropriate to repentance.
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"For thisreason some Jews20seized me in the temple and tried21to put me to death.
22
"So, having obtainedhelp from God, I stand to thisday22testifyingboth to small and great, statingnothing but what23the Prophets and Mosessaid was going to takeplace;
23
24that the Christ was to suffer, and that 25by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim26lightboth to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."
24
While Paul was sayingthis in his defense, Festussaid in a loudvoice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great27learning is driving you mad."