International Standard Version

King James Bible

1Then Agrippa told Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense.

1Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

2"I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, that I can defend myself today against all the accusations of the Jewish leaders,

2I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

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

3Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

4All the Jews know how I lived from the earliest days of my youth with my own people and in Jerusalem.

4My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

5They have known for a long time, if they would but testify to it, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the standards of our strictest religious party.

5Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6"And now I stand here on trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our ancestors.

6And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

7Our twelve tribes, worshiping day and night with intense devotion, hope to attain it. It is because of this hope, O King, that I am accused by the Jews.

7Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

8Why is it thought incredible by all of you that God should raise the dead?

8Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

9Indeed, I myself thought it my duty to take extreme measures against the name of Jesus from Nazareth.

9I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10That is what I did in Jerusalem. I received authority from the high priests and locked many of the saints in prison. And when I cast my vote against them, they were put to death.

10Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

11I would even punish them frequently in every synagogue and try to make them blaspheme. Raging furiously against them, I would hunt them down even in distant cities.

11And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

12"That is how I happened to be traveling to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests.

12Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

13On the road at noon, O King, I saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun. It flashed around me and those who were traveling with me.

13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

14"All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the cattle prods.'

14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

15"I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "The Lord answered, 'I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

16But get up and stand on your feet, because I've appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you've seen and of what I'll show you.

16But 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 the which I will appear unto thee;

17I'll continue to rescue you from your people and from the gentiles to whom I'm sending you.

17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

18You will help them understand and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's control to God, so that their sins will be forgiven and they will receive a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

19"And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

19Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

20Instead, I first told the people in Damascus and Jerusalem, then all the people in Judea—and after that the gentiles—to repent, turn to God, and perform deeds that are consistent with such repentance.

20But shewed first unto them 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, and do works meet for repentance.

21For this reason the Jewish leaders grabbed me in the Temple and kept trying to kill me.

21For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

22I've had help from God to this day, and so I stand here to testify to both the powerful and the lowly alike, stating only what the prophets and Moses said would happen—

22Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

23that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead and would bring light both to our people and to the gentiles."

23That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

24As he continued his defense, Festus shouted, "You're out of your mind, Paul! Too much education is driving you crazy!"

24And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

25But Paul said, "I'm not out of my mind, Your Excellency Festus. I'm reporting what is absolutely true.

25But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

26Indeed, the king knows about these things, and I can speak to him freely. For I'm certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this wasn't done in a corner.

26For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe them!"

27King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

28Agrippa asked Paul, "Can you so quickly persuade me to become a Christian?"

28Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

29Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I wish to God that not only you but everyone listening to me today would become what I am—except for these chains!"

29And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

30Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with him got up.

30And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

31As they were leaving, they began to say to each other, "This man hasn't been doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment."

31And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

32Agrippa told Festus, "This man could have been set free if he hadn't appealed to the emperor."

32Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.