Study Desk

And on the morrow when Agrippa was come and Bernice, with great pompe, and was entred into the place of hearing, with the chiefe captaines, and principall men of the citie; at Festus commaundement Paul was brought foorth.

And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are heere present with vs, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Iewes haue dealt with me, both at Hierusalem, and also heere, crying that he ought not to liue any longer.

But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himselfe hath appealed to Augustus, I haue determined to send him.

Of whom I haue no certaine thing to write vnto my Lord: Wherefore I haue brought him foorth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that after examination had, I might haue somewhat to write.

For it seemeth to me vnreasonable, to send a prisoner, and not withall to signifie the crimes laid against him.

Then Agrippa said vnto Paul, Thou art permitted to speake for thy selfe. Then Paul stretched foorth the hand, and answered for himselfe,

I thinke my selfe happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answere for my selfe this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Iewes:

Especially, because I know thee to be expert in all customes and questions which are among the Iewes: wherefore I beseech thee to heare mee patiently.

My maner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine owne nation at Hierusalem, know all the Iewes,

Which knew me from the beginning, (if they would testifie) that after the most straitest sect of our religion, I liued a Pharisee.

And now I stand, and am iudged for the hope of the promise made of God vnto our fathers:

Vnto which promise our twelue tribes instantly seruing God day and night, hope to come: For which hopes sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Iewes.

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

I verily thought with my selfe, that I ought to doe many things contrary to the name of Iesus of Nazareth:

Which thing I also did in Hierusalem, and many of the Saints did I shut vp in prison, hauing receiued authoritie from the chiefe Priests, and when they were put to death, I gaue my voyce against them.

And I punished them oft in euery Synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme, and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them euen vnto strange cities.

Whereupon, as I went to Damascus, with authoritie and commission from the chiefe Priests:

At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heauen, aboue the brightnes of the Sunne, shining round about mee, and them which iourneyed with me.

And when wee were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking vnto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kicke against the prickes.

And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And hee said, I am Iesus whom thou persecutest.

But rise, and stand vpon thy feete, for I haue appeared vnto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witnesse, both of these things which thou hast seene, & of those things in the which I will appeare vnto thee,

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

To open their eyes, and to turne them from darknesse to light, and from the power of Satan vnto God, that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient vnto the heauenly vision:

But shewed first vnto them of Damascus, and at Hierusalem, and thorowout all the coasts of Iudea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turne to God, and do works meete for repentance.

For these causes the Iewes caught mee in the Temple, and went about to kill me.

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

That Christ should suffer, and that hee should be the first that should rise from the dead, & should shew light vnto the people, and to the Gentiles.