1 And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul, having stretched forth his hand, made a defense.
2 Concerning all things of which I am accused by the Jews, king Agrippa, I consider myself blessed, being about to make my defense before thee today.
3 Especially thee, being an expert of all things regarding Jews, both habits and issues. Therefore I beg thee to hear me patiently.
4 Indeed therefore, my manner of life from youth, having developed from the beginning among my nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know,
5 having known me previously from the beginning, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6 And now for the hope of the promise made by God to the fathers, I stand being judged,
7 to which our twelve tribes, serving in earnestness night and day, hope to attain, about which hope, king Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews!
8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if God raises the dead?
9 Indeed therefore I thought it necessary for myself to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene,
10 which also I did at Jerusalem. And I locked up many of the sanctified in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests. And when they were killed, I gave a vote against them.
11 And punishing them often at all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme. And being extraordinarily furious toward them, I persecuted them even as far as to outside cities.
12 And during which, while going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
13 at midday, O king, I saw on the road a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, which shone around me and those who went with me.
14 And when we all fell to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why do thou persecute me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.
15 And I said, Who are thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecute.
16 But arise, and stand upon thy feet, for I appeared to thee for this, to appoint thee an assistant and a witness both of things that thou saw, and of the things that I will make visible to thee,
17 delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send thee,
18 to open their eyes to turn about from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, for them to receive remission of sins and a lot among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.
19 Whereupon, king Agrippa, I did not become disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but declaring first to those at Damascus and then at Jerusalem, and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, to repent and return to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21 Because of these things the Jews, having seized me in the temple, tried to grasp and kill me.
22 Having therefore experienced the help from God, I stand to this day solemnly declaring both to small and great, saying nothing apart from what both the prophets and Moses said was going to happen,
23 that the suffering Christ, since first from a resurrection of the dead, is going to proclaim light to our people and to the nations.
24 And while he made a defense by these things, Festus said in a loud voice, Paul, thou are mad. Much scholarship is driving thee into madness.
25 But Paul says, I am not mad, eminent Festus, but I speak forth sayings of truth and soberness.
26 For the king knows about these things, before whom I also speak boldly. For I am convinced not any of these things, nothing, to be hidden from him. For this was not done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, do thou believe the prophets? I know that thou believe.
28 And Agrippa said to Paul, By a little thou persuade me to become a Christian.
29 And Paul said, I ever pray to God, both by little and by much, not only thee, but also all who hear me this day, to become such kind as I also am, apart from these bonds.
30 And when he spoke these things, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
31 And having withdrawn, they spoke to each other, saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been released, if he had not appealed Caesar.
1 Agrippa sayde vnto Paul: thou arte permitted to speake for thy selfe. Then Paul stretched forth the honde and answered for him selfe.
2 I thynke my selfe happy kynge Agrippa because I shall answere this daye before the of all the thinges wherof I am accused of ye Iewes
3 namely because thou arte experte in all customes and questions which are amonge the Iewes. Wherfore I beseche the to heare me paciently.
4 My lyvynge of a chylde which was at the fyrst amoge myne awne nacion at Ierusalem knowe all the Iewes
5 which knew me from ye beginnynge yf they wolde testifie it. For after the most straytest secte of oure laye lyved I a pharisaye.
6 And now I stond and am iudged for the hope of the promes made of God vnto oure fathers:
7 vnto which promes oure .xii. tribes instantly servynge God daye and nyght hope to come. For which hopes sake kynge Agrippa am I accused of the Iewes.
8 Why shuld it be thought a thinge vncredible vnto you that god shuld rayse agayne the deed?
9 I also verely thought in my selfe that I ought to do many cotrary thinges clene agaynst the name of Iesus of Nazareth:
10 which thinge I also dyd in Ierusalem. Where many of the sainctes I shut vp in preson and had receaved auctorite of ye hye prestes. And whe they were put to deeth I gave the sentence.
11 And I punysshed them ofte in every synagoge and compelled them to blaspheme: and was yet more mad apon them and persecuted the even vnto straunge cities.
12 About the which thinges as I went to Damasco with auctorite and licence of the hye Prestes
13 even at myddaye (o kynge) I sawe in ye waye a lyght from heven above the brightnes of the sunne shyne rounde about me and them which iorneyed with me.
14 When we were all fallen to the erth I hearde a voyce speakynge vnto me and sayinge in ye Hebrue tonge: Saul Saul why persecutest thou me? It is harde for the to kicke agaynste the pricke.
15 And I sayde: Who arte thou lorde? And he sayde I am Iesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But ryse and stond vp on thy fete. For I have apered vnto the for this purpose to make the a minister and a witnes both of tho thinges which thou hast sene and of tho thinges in the which I will appere vnto the
17 delyverynge the from the people and from ye gentyls vnto which nowe I sende the
18 to open their eyes that they myght turne from darcknes vnto lyght and from the power of Satan vnto God that they maye receave forgevenes of synnes and inheritauce amonge the which are sanctified by fayth in me.
19 Wherfore kynge Agrippa I was not disobedient vnto the hevenly vision:
20 but shewed fyrst vnto them of Damasco and at Ierusalem and thorow out all the costes of Iewry and to the gentyls that they shuld repent and turne to God and do the ryght workes of repentaunce.
21 For this cause the Iewes caught me in the temple and went about to kyll me.
22 Neverthelesse I obtayned helpe of God and cotynew vnto this daye witnessyng bothe to small and to greate saying none other thinges then those which the prophetes and Moses dyd saye shuld come
23 that Christ shulde suffre and that he shuld be the fyrst that shulde ryse from deeth and shuld shewe lyght vnto the people and the gentyls.
24 As he thus answered for him selfe: Festus sayde with a lowde voyce: Paul thou arte besides thy selfe. Moche learnynge hath made the mad.
25 And Paul sayde: I am not mad most dere Festus: but speake the wordes of trueth and sobernes.
26 The kynge knoweth of these thinges before whom I speke frely: nether thynke I that eny of these thinges are hydden fro him. For this thinge was not done in a corner.
27 Kynge Agrippa belevest thou ye prophetes? I wote well thou belevest.
28 Agrippa sayde vnto Paul: Sumwhat thou bringest me in mynde for to be come a Christen.
29 And Paul sayd: I wolde to God that not only thou: but also all that heare me to daye were not sumwhat only but altogeder soche as I am except these bondes.
30 And when he had thus spoken the kynge rose vp and the debite and Bernice and they that sate with them.
31 And when they were gone aparte they talked betwene them selves sayinge: This man doeth nothinge worthy of deeth nor of bondes.
32 Then sayde Agrippa vnto Festus: This man myght have bene lowsed yf he had not appealed vnto Cesar.