1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself:2 I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall give a defense 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.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 bear witness, 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. Concerning this hope, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.8 Why should it be thought incredible by you if God raises the dead?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.12 While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,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.14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.15 So I said, Who are You, Sir? And He said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute.16 But arise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things in which I will appear 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, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.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 to be;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.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 sobriety.26 For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things are hidden from him, since this thing was not done in a corner.27 King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you 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 bonds.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 bonds.32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.

1 And Agrippa seide to Poul, It is suffrid to thee, to speke for thi silf. Thanne Poul helde forth the hoond, and bigan to yelde resoun.2 Of alle thingis, in whiche Y am accusid of the Jewis, thou king Agrippa, Y gesse me blessid at thee, whanne Y schal defende me this dai;3 moost for thou knowist alle thingis that ben among Jewis, customes and questiouns. For which thing, Y biseche, here me pacientli.4 For alle Jewis that bifor knewen me fro the bigynnyng, knewen my lijf fro yongthe; that fro the bigynnyng was in my folc in Jerusalem,5 if thei wolen bere witnessing, that bi the moost certeyn sect of oure religioun, Y lyuede a Farisee.6 And now for the hope of repromyssioun, that is maad to oure fadris of God, Y stonde suget in dom;7 in which hope oure twelue lynagis seruynge niyt and dai hopen to come; of which hope, sir king, Y am accusid of the Jewis.8 What vnbileueful thing is demed at you, if God reisith deed men?9 And sotheli Y gesside, that Y ouyte do many contrarie thingis ayens the name of Jhesu Nazarene.10 Which thing also Y dide in Jerusalem, and Y encloside manye of the seyntis in prisoun, whanne Y hadde take powere of the princis of preestis. And whanne thei weren slayn, Y brouyte the sentence.11 And bi alle synagogis ofte Y punyschide hem, and constreynede to blasfeme; and more Y wex wood ayens hem, and pursuede in to alien citees.12 In whiche, the while Y wente to Damask, with power and suffring of princis of preestis,13 at myddai, in the weie Y say, sir king, that fro heuene liyt schynede aboute me, passing the schynyng of the sunne, and aboute hem that weren togidir with me.14 And whanne we alle hadden falle doun in to the erthe, Y herde a vois seiynge to me in Ebrew tunge, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me? it is hard to thee, to kicke ayens the pricke.15 And Y seide, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord seide, Y am Jhesus, whom thou pursuest.16 But rise vp, and stoond on thi feet. For whi to this thing Y apperide to thee, that Y ordeyne thee mynystre and witnesse of tho thingis that thou hast seyn, and of tho in whiche Y schal schewe to thee.17 And Y schal delyuere thee fro puplis and folkis, to whiche now Y sende thee,18 to opene the iyen of hem, that thei ben conuertid fro derknesse to liyt, and fro power of Sathnas to God, that thei take remyssioun of synnes, and part among seyntis, bi feith that is in me.19 Wherfor, sir kyng Agrippa, Y was not vnbileueful to the heuenli visioun;20 but Y tolde to hem that been at Damask first, and at Jerusalem, and bi al the cuntre of Judee, and to hethene men, that thei schulden do penaunce, and be conuertid to God, and do worthi werkis of penaunce.21 For this cause Jewis token me, whanne Y was in the temple, to sle me.22 But Y was holpun bi the helpe of God in to this dai, and stonde, witnessinge to lesse and to more. And Y seye no thing ellis than whiche thingis the prophetis and Moises spaken that schulen come,23 if Crist is to suffre, if he is the firste of the ayenrising of deed men, that schal schewe liyt to the puple and to hethene men.24 Whanne he spak these thingis, and yeldide resoun, Festus seide with greet vois, Poul, thou maddist; many lettris turnen thee to woodnesse.25 And Poul seide, Y madde not, thou beste Festus, but Y speke out the wordis of treuthe and of sobernesse.26 For also the king, to whom Y speke stidfastli, woot of these thingis; for Y deme, that no thing of these is hid fro hym; for nether in a cornere was ouyt of these thingis don.27 Bileuest thou, king Agrippa, `to prophetis? Y woot that thou bileuest.28 And Agrippa seide to Poul, In litil thing thou counseilist me to be maad a cristen man.29 And Poul seide, Y desire anentis God, bothe in litil and in greet, not oneli thee, but alle these that heren to dai, to be maad sich as Y am, outakun these boondis.30 And the kyng roos vp, and the president, and Beronyce, and thei that saten niy to hem.31 And whanne thei wenten awei, thei spaken togider, and seiden, That this man hath not don ony thing worthi deth, nether boondis.32 And Agrippa seide to Festus, This man miyt be delyuerid, if he hadde not appelid to the emperour.