Acts 26

26Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You may speak in your defense." So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense.G1161G67G5346G4314G3972G4671G2010G3004G5228G4572G5119G3972G1614G5495G6262"I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders,G2233G1683G3107G935G67G3195G626G4594G1909G4675G4012G3956G3739G1458G5259G24533for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!G3122G1492G4571G5607G1109G5037G3956G1485G2532G2213G2596G2453G1352G1189G4675G191G3450G31164"As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem.G3450G3303G3767G981G1537G3503G3588G1096G575G746G1722G3450G1484G1722G2414G2467G3956G24535If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion.G4267G3165G509G1437G2309G3140G3754G2596G196G139G2251G2356G2198G53306Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God's promise made to our ancestors.G2532G3568G2476G2919G1909G1680G1860G1096G5259G2316G4314G39627In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope!G1519G3739G2257G1429G1722G1616G3000G2250G2532G3571G1679G2658G4012G3739G1680G935G67G1458G5259G24538Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?G5101G2919G571G3844G5213G1487G2316G1453G34989"I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene

.G1473G3303G3767G1380G1683G1163G4238G4183G1727G4314G3686G2424G348010Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers

there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death.G3739G4160G2532G4160G1722G2414G2532G4183G40G2623G1473G2623G5438G2983G1849G3844G749G5037G846G337G2702G558611Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus

. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities.G2532G5097G846G4178G2596G3956G4864G315G987G5037G1693G4057G1693G846G1377G2532G1519G2193G1854G417212"One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests.G2532G1722G3739G4198G1519G1154G3326G1849G2532G2011G3844G74913About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions.G2250G3319G935G1492G2596G3598G5457G3771G5228G2987G2246G4034G3165G2532G4198G4862G169814We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic

, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.'G1161G2257G2667G3956G2667G1519G1093G191G5456G2980G4314G3165G2532G3004G1446G1258G4549G4549G5101G1377G3165G4642G4671G2979G4314G275915"'Who are you, lord?' I asked." And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.G1161G1473G2036G5101G1488G2962G1161G2036G1473G1510G2424G3739G4771G137716Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future.G235G450G2532G2476G1909G4675G4228G1063G3700G4671G1519G5124G4400G4571G5257G2532G3144G5037G3739G1492G5037G3739G3700G467117And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the GentilesG1807G4571G1537G2992G2532G1484G1519G3739G3568G649G457118to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.'G455G846G3788G1994G575G4655G1519G5457G2532G1849G4567G1909G2316G846G2983G859G266G2532G2819G1722G37G4102G1519G169119"And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven.G3606G935G67G1096G3756G545G3770G370120I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.G235G518G518G4412G1722G1154G2532G2414G5037G1519G3956G5561G2449G2532G1484G3340G2532G1994G1909G2316G4238G2041G514G334121Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me.G1752G5130G2453G4815G3165G1722G2411G3987G131522But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen—G5177G3767G5177G1947G3844G2316G2476G891G5026G2250G3140G5037G3398G2532G3173G3004G3762G1622G3739G5037G4396G2532G3475G2980G3195G109623that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God's light to Jews and Gentiles alike."G1487G5547G3805G1487G4413G386G1537G3498G3195G2605G5457G2992G2532G148424Suddenly, Festus shouted, "Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!"G1161G846G5023G626G5347G5346G3173G5456G3972G3105G4183G1121G4062G4571G1519G313025But Paul replied, "I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth.G1161G5346G3105G3756G3105G2903G5347G235G669G4487G225G2532G499726And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner!G1063G935G1987G4012G5130G4314G3739G2532G2980G3955G1063G3982G3756G5100G3762G5130G2990G846G1063G5124G2076G3756G4238G1722G113727King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do?"G935G67G4100G4396G1492G3754G410028Agrippa interrupted him. "Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?"

G1161G67G5346G4314G3972G1722G3641G3982G3165G1096G554629Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains."G1161G3972G2036G302G2172G2316G3756G3440G4571G235G2532G3956G191G3450G4594G1096G2532G1722G3641G2532G1722G4183G5108G3697G2504G1510G3924G5130G119930Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left.G2532G846G2036G5023G2036G935G450G2532G2232G5037G959G2532G4775G84631As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, "This man hasn't done anything to deserve death or imprisonment."G2532G402G2980G4314G240G3004G3754G3778G444G4238G3762G514G2288G2228G119932And Agrippa said to Festus, "He could have been set free if he hadn't appealed to Caesar."G1161G5346G67G5347G3778G444G1410G630G1508G1941G1508G1941G2541