Acts 26

¹And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching out his hand answered in his defence:

²I count myself happy, king Agrippa, in having to answer to-day before thee concerning all of which I am accused by the Jews,

³especially because thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

⁴My manner of life then from my youth, which from its commencement was passed among my nation in Jerusalem, know all the Jews,

⁵who knew me before from the outset [of my life], if they would bear witness, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

⁶And now I stand to be judged because of the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

⁷to which our whole twelve tribes serving incessantly day and night hope to arrive; about which hope, O king, I am accused of [the] Jews.

⁸Why should it be judged a thing incredible in your sight if God raises the dead?

⁹I indeed myself thought that I ought to do much against the name of Jesus the Nazaraean.

¹⁰Which also I did in Jerusalem, and myself shut up in prisons many of the saints, having received the authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote.

¹¹And often punishing them in all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme. And, being exceedingly furious against them, I persecuted them even to cities out [of our own land].

And when, [engaged] in this, I was journeying to Damascus, with authority and power from the chief priests,