Acts 26:7-30

⁷Whereunto our twelue tribes instantly seruing God day and night, hope to come: for the which hopes sake, O King Agrippa, I am accused of the Iewes.

⁸Why should it be thought a thing incredible vnto you, that God should raise againe the dead?

⁹I also verely thought in my selfe, that I ought to doe many contrarie things against the Name of Iesus of Nazareth.

¹⁰Which thing I also did in Hierusalem: for many of the Saints I shut vp in prison, hauing receiued authoritie of the hie Priests, and when they were put to death, I gaue my sentence.

¹¹And I punished them throughout all the Synagogues, and compelled them to blaspheme, and being more mad against them, I persecuted them, euen vnto strange cities.

¹²At which time, euen as I went to Damascus with authoritie, and commission from the hie Priests,

¹³At midday, O King, I sawe in the way a light from heauen, passing the brightnes of the sunne, shine round about mee, and them which went with me.

¹⁴So when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voyce speaking vnto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kicke against pricks.

¹⁵Then I sayd, Who art thou, Lord? And he sayd, I am Iesus whom thou persecutest.

¹⁶But rise and stand vp on thy feete: for I haue appeared vnto thee for this purpose, to appoint thee a minister and a witnesse, both of the things which thou hast seene, and of the things in the which I will appeare vnto thee,

¹⁷Deliuering thee from this people, and from the Gentiles, vnto whom now I send thee,

¹⁸To open their eyes, that they may turne from darknes to light, and from the power of Satan vnto God, that they may receiue forgiuenes of sinnes, and inheritance among them, which are sanctified by fayth in me.

¹⁹Wherefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient vnto the heauenly vision,

²⁰But shewed first vnto them of Damascus, and at Hierusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Iudea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turne to God, and doe workes worthy amendment of life.

²¹For this cause the Iewes caught me in the Temple, and went about to kill me.

²²Neuertheles, I obteined helpe of God, and continue vnto this day, witnessing both to small and to great, saying none other things, then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come,

²³To wit, that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light vnto this people, and to the Gentiles.

²⁴And as he thus answered for himselfe, Festus said with a loude voyce, Paul, thou art besides thy selfe: much learning doeth make thee mad.

²⁵But he said, I am not mad, O noble Festus, but I speake the wordes of trueth and sobernes.

²⁶For the King knoweth of these things, before whom also I speake boldly: for I am perswaded that none of these things are hidden from him: for this thing was not done in a corner.

²⁷O King Agrippa, beleeuest thou the Prophets? I know that thou beleeuest.

²⁸Then Agrippa said vnto Paul, Almost thou perswadest me to become a Christian.

²⁹Then Paul sayd, I would to God that not onely thou, but also all that heare me to day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

³⁰And when he had thus spoken, the King rose vp, and the gouernour, and Bernice, and they that sate with them.