Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

1Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense:

2“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,

2"In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today;

3especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.

3especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem.

4"So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem;

5They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.

5since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.

6And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,

6"And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers;

7the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.

7the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews.

8Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

8"Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?

9So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

9"So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.

10"And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them.

11I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.

11"And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.

12In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.

12"While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,

13About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.

13at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.

14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

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

15‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.

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

16‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.

16'But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;

17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them

17rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,

18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’

18to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'

19So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

19"So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.

20but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.

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

21"For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.

22But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:

22"So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place;

23that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

23that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."

24At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”

24While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad."

25But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.

25But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.

26For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.

26"For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.

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

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

28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”

28Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian."

29“Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”

29And Paul said, "I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains."

30Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.

30The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them,

31On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”

31and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, "This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment."

32And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

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

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