| Acts 21:40-22:1-24 Jerusalem | Acts 26:1-32 Before Agrippa |
| 21:40 So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying, | 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: |
| 22:1 "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now." 2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said: | 2 "I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, 3 "especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. |
| Acts 21:40-22:24 Jerusalem | Acts 26:1-32 Before Agrippa |
| 3 "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. | 4 "My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. 5 "They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. |
| 6 "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 7 "To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8 "Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? |
| Acts 21:40-22:24 Jerusalem | Acts 26:1-32 Before Agrippa |
| 4 "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 5 "as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, | 9 "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 "This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 "And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. |
| Acts 21:40-22:24 Jerusalem | Acts 26:1-32 Before Agrippa |
| 5b from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. | 12 "While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, |
| Acts 21:40-22:24 Jerusalem | Acts 26:1-32 Before Agrippa |
| 6 "Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. | 13 "at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. |
| 7 "And I fell to the ground | 14 "And when we all had fallen to the ground, |
| and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' | I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' |
| 8 "So I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' | 15 "So I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' |
| 8b And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' 9 "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of him who spoke to me. | 15b And He said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. |
| 10 "So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' | |
| 10b And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' | 16 'But rise and stand on your feet; |
| Acts 21:40-22:24 Jerusalem | Acts 26:1-32 Before Agrippa |
| 11 "And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. | |
| 12 "Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, | |
| 13 "came to me; and he stood and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him. |
| Acts 21:40-22:24 Jerusalem | Acts 26:1-32 Before Agrippa |
| 14 "Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know his will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of his mouth. 15 'For you will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. | 16b for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 'I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 'to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' |
| Acts 21:40-22:24 Jerusalem | Acts 26:1-32 Before Agrippa |
| 16 'And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' | |
| 17 "Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18 "and saw him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning me.' 19 "So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 'And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' 21 "Then he said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.'" | 19 "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 "but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. 21 "For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 "Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come; 23 "that the Christ would suffer, that he would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles." |
| Acts 21:40-22:24 Jerusalem | Acts 26:1-32 Before Agrippa |
| 22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!" 23 Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks | 24 Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!" 25 But he said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. 26 "For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. 27 "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe." 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." 29 And Paul said, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains." |
| 30 When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them; 31 and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, "This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains." 32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." |