Paul’s Testimony to Agrippa (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 22:1–21)
1 AKJV Then Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: BSB BSB: Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
2 AKJV I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before you touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: BSB BSB: “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,
3 AKJV Especially because I know you to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: why I beseech you to hear me patiently. BSB BSB: especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.
4 AKJV My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among my own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; BSB BSB: Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from my earliest childhood among my own people, and also in Jerusalem.
5 AKJV Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most strait sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. BSB BSB: They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
6 AKJV And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, to our fathers: BSB BSB: And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,
7 AKJV To 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. BSB BSB: the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.
8 AKJV Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? BSB BSB: Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9 AKJV I truly thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. BSB BSB: So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.
11 AKJV And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to strange cities. BSB BSB: I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
12 AKJV Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, BSB BSB: In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
13 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
14 AKJV And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecute you me? it is hard for you to kick against the pricks. BSB BSB: We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 AKJV And I said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you persecute. BSB BSB: ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
16 AKJV But rise, and stand on your feet: for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of these things which you have seen, and of those things in the which I will appear to you; BSB BSB: ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.
17 AKJV Delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom now I send you, BSB BSB: I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
18 AKJV To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. BSB BSB: 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 an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’
19 AKJV Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision: BSB BSB: So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
20 AKJV But showed first to 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. BSB BSB: First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
21 AKJV For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. BSB BSB: For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
22 AKJV Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue to this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: BSB BSB: But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
23 AKJV That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light to the people, and to the Gentiles. BSB BSB: that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
Festus Interrupts Paul’s Defense 26 AKJV For the king knows 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. BSB BSB: For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.
27 AKJV King Agrippa, believe you the prophets? I know that you believe. BSB BSB: King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28 AKJV Then Agrippa said to Paul, Almost you persuade me to be a Christian. BSB BSB: Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”
29 AKJV And Paul said, I would to God, that not only you, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. BSB BSB: “Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”
30 AKJV And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: BSB BSB: Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.
31 AKJV And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds. BSB BSB: On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
32 AKJV Then said Agrippa to Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar. BSB BSB: And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.