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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</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/bsb/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="/bmc//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="/acts/">Acts</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 align="center" id="jump2"><a href="/niv/acts/26.htm">NIV</a> • <a href="/nlt/acts/26.htm">NLT</a> • <a href="/esv/acts/26.htm">ESV</a> • <a href="/kjv/acts/26.htm">KJV</a> • <a href="/nkjv/acts/26.htm">NKJ</a> • <a href="/nasb/acts/26.htm">NAS</a></div><br /><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="1%" valign="top">BSB</td><td width="99%" valign="top" align="right"><a href="/parallel/acts/26.htm" style="font-weight:normal" title="Parallel Chapters">Parallel Chapters ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><A name="2"></a><p class="hdg">Paul’s Testimony to Agrippa<br /><span class="cross">(<a href ="../acts/9.htm">Acts 9:1–19</a>; <a href ="../acts/22.htm">Acts 22:1–21</a>)</span><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” <p class="reg"> Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: <A name="3"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews, <A name="4"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently. <A name="5"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem. <A name="6"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>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. <A name="7"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers, <A name="8"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews. <A name="9"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? <A name="10"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. <A name="11"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>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. <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>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. <A name="13"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. <A name="14"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>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. <A name="15"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew,<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">a</a></span> <span class="red">‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’</span> <A name="16"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. <p class="reg"><span class="red">‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’</span> the Lord replied. <A name="17"></a><span class="red"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>‘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. <A name="18"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them <A name="19"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>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.’</span> <A name="20"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. <A name="21"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>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. <A name="22"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">b</a></span> and tried to kill me. <A name="23"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>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: <A name="24"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.” <A name="25"></a><p class="hdg">Festus Interrupts Paul’s Defense<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!” <A name="26"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety. <A name="27"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>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. <A name="28"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” <A name="29"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?” <A name="30"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>“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.” <A name="31"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them. <A name="32"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.” <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/acts/26-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”</p><A name="fn"></a><div id="fnlink"><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:</b><br><br><span class="fnverse">14</span> <span class="footnotesbot">a</span> Or <i>in Aramaic</i><span class="thin"> </span>; literally <i>in the Hebrew language</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">21</span> <span class="footnotesbot">b</span> Literally <i>the temple</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><br /></div><br /></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Berean Bible (<a href=http://berean.bible>www.Berean.Bible</a>) <a href=http://bereanbible.com>Berean Study Bible (BSB)</a> © 2016, 2020 by <a href=http://biblehub.com>Bible Hub</a> and <a href=http://berean.bible>Berean.Bible</a>. 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