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

Then 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, King Agrippa, that today I am able to make my defense before you concerning all the accusations brought against me by the Jews.

I 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:

3 Especially because you are so familiar with all the customs and controversies among the Jews. I therefore ask you to listen to me patiently.

Especially 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.

4 The way of life I have lived since my youth, from the very beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem, is well known to all the Jews.

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

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

Which 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 because of the hope in the promise God made to our ancestors.

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

7 This is the promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God night and day. It is for this hope, King Agrippa, that I am accused by the Jews.

Unto 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.

8 Why is it considered unbelievable by you that God raises the dead?

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

9 Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

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

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

Which 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.

11 I punished them often in all the synagogues, trying to force them to blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

And 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 In this pursuit, I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests.

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

13 At midday, O King, while I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me.

At 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 When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in Hebrew, saying, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

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 persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

15 I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.'

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

16 But rise and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you: to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and of what I will show you.

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 the which I will appear unto thee;

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

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

18 to 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 a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

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

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

20 Instead, I preached first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and then to all the region of Judea and to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.

But 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.

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

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

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

Having 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:

23 that the Messiah must suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the light of the gospel to our people and to the Gentiles.

That 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.

24 While Paul was making his defense, Festus said loudly, 'You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane.'

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

25 Paul replied, 'I am not insane, most excellent Festus. What I am saying is true and reasonable.'

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

26 The king knows about these matters, and I am speaking to him openly. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a hidden or obscure place.

For 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.

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

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

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'In such a short time, are you trying to persuade me to become a Christian?'

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

29 Paul replied, 'I pray to God that whether in a short or long time, not only you but all who are listening to me today might become as I am—except for these chains.'

And 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.

30 The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up and left.

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

31 As they were leaving, they began to discuss among themselves, saying, 'This man has done nothing deserving death or imprisonment.'

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

32 Agrippa said to Festus, 'This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.'

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