Paul’s Testimony to Agrippa (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 22:1–21)
1 ULT And Agrippa said to Paul,“It is permitted to you to speak about yourself.” Then Paul, stretching out{ his} hand, was defending 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 ULT “Concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself blessed to be about to defend myself before you today, BSB BSB: “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,
3 ULT especially you being an expert in all the customs and controversies among the Jews. So I ask 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 ULT Indeed, then, all the Jews know the manner of my life from my youth, having happened from the beginning in my nation and in Jerusalem, BSB BSB: Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from my earliest childhood among my own people, and also in Jerusalem.
5 ULT knowing me from the beginning, if they wished to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as 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 ULT And now I stand here being judged because of hope of the promise made to our fathers by God, BSB BSB: And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,
7 ULT to which our 12 tribes hope to attain, serving in earnestness night and day, concerning which hope I am being accused by the Jews, O King. 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 ULT Why is it judged unbelievable among you if God raises the dead? BSB BSB: Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9 ULT Indeed, for myself, I thought it to be necessary to do many things opposed to the name of Jesus the Nazarene, 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 ULT which I did even in Jerusalem, and I even locked up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were being executed, I cast my vote 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 ULT And often punishing them in all the synagogues, I forced them to blaspheme, and being greatly enraged against them, I persecuted them even as far as to other 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 ULT in which things, traveling to Damascus with authority and a 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 ULT in the middle of the day, along the road, I saw, O King, a light from heaven, beyond the brightness of the sun, shining around me and the ones traveling 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 ULT And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew language,‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against a goad.’ 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 ULT And I said,‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said,‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. BSB BSB: ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
16 ULT But get up and stand on your feet, because for this I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things in which you have seen me and of the things in which I will be shown 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 ULT rescuing you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, BSB BSB: I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
18 ULT to open their eyes to turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, for them to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the ones having been sanctified by faith 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 ULT Therefore, 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 ULT but first to the ones in Damascus and also in Jerusalem and the whole region of Judea and to the Gentiles I declared to repent and turn to God, doing deeds worthy of 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 ULT Because of these things, the Jews, having seized me in the temple, were trying to kill me. BSB BSB: For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
22 ULT Therefore, having received help from God up to this day, I stand, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except the things that both the prophets and Moses said were going to happen— 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 ULT if the Christ would be a sufferer, if he, the first from the resurrection of the dead, was going to proclaim light both 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 ULT For the king knows about these things— to whom indeed, speaking boldly, I am talking— for I am not persuaded at all that any of these things eludes him, for this has not been 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 ULT Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe.” BSB BSB: King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28 ULT But Agrippa said to Paul,“In little are you persuading me to make me a Christian?” BSB BSB: Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”
29 ULT But Paul replied,“I would wish to God, either in little or in much, that not only you but also all the ones hearing me today would become such as I also am— without these chains.” 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 ULT Then the king got up, and the governor and Bernice and the ones sitting with them, BSB BSB: Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.
31 ULT and having left, they were talking to one another, saying,“This man is not doing anything worthy of death or of chains.” BSB BSB: On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
32 ULT And Agrippa said to Festus,“This man was able to have been released 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.