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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Acts 26 ESV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/acts/26.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/acts/26-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ESV</a> > Acts 26</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../acts/25.htm" title="Acts 25">◄</a> Acts 26 <a href="../acts/27.htm" title="Acts 27">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">English Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/esv/nas/acts/26.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div></a><div class="chap"><p class="heading">Paul’s Defense Before Agrippa</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>“I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.</p> <p class="heading">Paul Tells of His Conversion</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>“In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or the Hebrew dialect (probably Aramaic)">a</a></sup></span> <span class="woc">‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, <span class="woc">‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span><span class="woc">But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you,</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span><span class="woc">delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span><span class="woc">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 a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’</span></p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or In a short time you would persuade me to act like a Christian!">b</a></sup></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/26-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="footnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">14</span> Or <i><span class="catch-word">the Hebrew</span> dialect</i> (probably Aramaic)<br /><span class="footnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">28</span> Or <i>In a short time you would persuade me to act like a Christian!</i><br /></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">ESV Text Edition® (2016).<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by <a href="http://www.crossway.org/home/esv/">Crossway Bibles</a>, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 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