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I esteem myself blessed, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee concerning all the things of which I am accused of the Jews,
3
especially
because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews; therefore, I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
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My manner of life from my youth, which from the beginning was among my own nation at Jerusalem, is known of all the Jews,
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who knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most perfect sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
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And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;
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unto which
promise our twelve tribes, constantly serving
God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
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Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead?
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I verily had thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
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Which things I also did in Jerusalem, and I shut up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the princes of the priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against
them.
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And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled
them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted
them even unto foreign cities.
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Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the princes of the priests,
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at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and those who journeyed with me.
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And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?
It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
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And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute.
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But 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 which I will appear unto thee;
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delivering thee from the people and
from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee
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to open their eyes
and to turn
them from darkness to light and
from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified by the faith that is in me.
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Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,
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but I announced first unto those 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, doing works worthy of repentance.
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For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple and went about to kill
me.
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Having, therefore, obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said should come:
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that the Christ should suffer
and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should show light unto this people and to the Gentiles.