26THEN AGRIPPA said to Paul, You are permitted to speak on your own behalf. At that Paul stretched forth his hand and made his defense [as follows]:G1161G67G5346G4314G3972G4671G2010G3004G5228G4572G5119G3972G1614G5495G626 2I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that it is before you that I am to make my defense today in regard to all the charges brought against me by [the] Jews,G2233G1683G3107G935G67G3195G626G4594G1909G4675G4012G3956G3739G1458G5259G2453 3[Especially] because you are so fully {and} unusually conversant with all the Jewish customs and controversies; therefore, I beg you to hear me patiently.G3122G1492G4571G5607G1109G5037G3956G1485G2532G2213G2596G2453G1352G1189G4675G191G3450G3116 4My behavior {and} manner of living from my youth up is known by all the Jews; [they are aware] that from [its] commencement my youth was spent among my own race in Jerusalem.G3450G3303G3767G981G1537G3503G3588G1096G575G746G1722G3450G1484G1722G2414G2467G3956G2453 5They have had knowledge of me for a long time, if they are willing to testify to it, that in accordance with the strictest sect of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee.G4267G3165G509G1437G2309G3140G3754G2596G196G139G2251G2356G2198G5330 6And now I stand here on trial [to be judged on the ground] of the hope of that promise made to our forefathers by God,G2532G3568G2476G2919G1909G1680G1860G1096G5259G2316G4314G3962 7Which hope [of the Messiah and the resurrection] our twelve tribes confidently expect to realize as they fervently worship [without ceasing] night and day. And for that hope, O king, I am accused by Jews {and} considered a criminal!G1519G3739G2257G1429G1722G1616G3000G2250G2532G3571G1679G2658G4012G3739G1680G935G67G1458G5259G2453 8Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?G5101G2919G571G3844G5213G1487G2316G1453G3498 9I myself indeed was [once] persuaded that it was my duty to do many things contrary to {and} in defiance of the name of Jesus of Nazareth.G1473G3303G3767G1380G1683G1163G4238G4183G1727G4314G3686G2424G3480 10And that is what I did in Jerusalem; I [not only] locked up many of the [faithful] saints (holy ones) in prison by virtue of authority received from the chief priests, but when they were being condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.G3739G4160G2532G4160G1722G2414G2532G4183G40G2623G1473G2623G5438G2983G1849G3844G749G5037G846G337G2702G5586 11And frequently I punished them in all the synagogues to make them blaspheme; and in my bitter fury against them, I harassed (troubled, molested, persecuted) {and} pursued them even to foreign cities.G2532G5097G846G4178G2596G3956G4864G315G987G5037G1693G4057G1693G846G1377G2532G1519G2193G1854G4172 12Thus engaged I proceeded to Damascus with the authority and orders of the chief priests,G2532G1722G3739G4198G1519G1154G3326G1849G2532G2011G3844G749 13When on the road at midday, O king, I saw a light from heaven surpassing the brightness of the sun, flashing about me and those who were traveling with me.G2250G3319G935G1492G2596G3598G5457G3771G5228G2987G2246G4034G3165G2532G4198G4862G1698 14And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice in the Hebrew tongue saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you continue to persecute Me [to harass and trouble and molest Me]? It is dangerous {and} turns out badly for you to keep kicking against the goads [to keep offering vain and perilous resistance].G1161G2257G2667G3956G2667G1519G1093G191G5456G2980G4314G3165G2532G3004G1446G1258G4549G4549G5101G1377G3165G4642G4671G2979G4314G2759 15And I said, Who are You, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting.G1161G1473G2036G5101G1488G2962G1161G2036G1473G1510G2424G3739G4771G1377 16But arise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, that I might appoint you to serve as [My] minister and to bear witness both to what you have seen of Me and to that in which I will appear to you,G235G450G2532G2476G1909G4675G4228G1063G3700G4671G1519G5124G4400G4571G5257G2532G3144G5037G3739G1492G5037G3739G3700G4671 17Choosing you out [selecting you for Myself] {and} delivering you from among this [Jewish] people and the Gentiles to whom I am sending you--G1807G4571G1537G2992G2532G1484G1519G3739G3568G649G4571 18To open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may thus receive forgiveness {and} release from their sins and a place {and} portion among those who are consecrated {and} purified by faith in Me.G455G846G3788G1994G575G4655G1519G5457G2532G1849G4567G1909G2316G846G2983G859G266G2532G2819G1722G37G4102G1519G1691 19Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,G3606G935G67G1096G3756G545G3770G3701 20But made known openly first of all to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout the whole land of Judea, and also among the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works {and} live lives consistent with {and} worthy of their repentance.G235G518G518G4412G1722G1154G2532G2414G5037G1519G3956G5561G2449G2532G1484G3340G2532G1994G1909G2316G4238G2041G514G3341 21Because of these things the Jews seized me in the temple [enclosure] and tried to do away with me.G1752G5130G2453G4815G3165G1722G2411G3987G1315 22[But] to this day I have had the help which comes from God [as my ally], and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike, asserting nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses declared would come to pass--G5177G3767G5177G1947G3844G2316G2476G891G5026G2250G3140G5037G3398G2532G3173G3004G3762G1622G3739G5037G4396G2532G3475G2980G3195G1096 23That the Christ (the Anointed One) must suffer and that He, by being the first to rise from the dead, would declare {and} show light both to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles.G1487G5547G3805G1487G4413G386G1537G3498G3195G2605G5457G2992G2532G1484 24And as he thus proceeded with his defense, Festus called out loudly, Paul, you are mad! Your great learning is driving you insane!G1161G846G5023G626G5347G5346G3173G5456G3972G3105G4183G1121G4062G4571G1519G3130 25But Paul replied, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but I am uttering the straight, sound truth.G1161G5346G3105G3756G3105G2903G5347G235G669G4487G225G2532G4997 26For the king understands about these things well enough, and [therefore] to him I speak with bold frankness {and} confidence. I am convinced that not one of these things has escaped his notice, for all this did not take place in a corner [in secret].G1063G935G1987G4012G5130G4314G3739G2532G2980G3955G1063G3982G3756G5100G3762G5130G2990G846G1063G5124G2076G3756G4238G1722G1137 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? [Do you give credence to God's messengers and their words?] I perceive {and} know that you do believe.G935G67G4100G4396G1492G3754G4100 28Then Agrippa said to Paul, You think it a small task to make a Christian of me [just offhand to induce me with little ado and persuasion, at very short notice].G1161G67G5346G4314G3972G1722G3641G3982G3165G1096G5546 29And Paul replied, Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you, but also all who are listening to me today, might become such as I am, except for these chains.G1161G3972G2036G302G2172G2316G3756G3440G4571G235G2532G3956G191G3450G4594G1096G2532G1722G3641G2532G1722G4183G5108G3697G2504G1510G3924G5130G1199 30Then the king arose, and the governor and Bernice and all those who were seated with them;G2532G846G2036G5023G2036G935G450G2532G2232G5037G959G2532G4775G846 31And after they had gone out, they said to one another, This man is doing nothing deserving of death or [even] of imprisonment.G2532G402G2980G4314G240G3004G3754G3778G444G4238G3762G514G2288G2228G1199 32And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been set at liberty if he had not appealed to Caesar.G1161G5346G67G5347G3778G444G1410G630G1508G1941G1508G1941G2541
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