Acts 26:16-32 ▼

16 but rise, and stand on your feet, for this I appeared to you, to appoint you an officer and a witness both of the things you saw, and of the things [in which] I will appear to you,

17 delivering you from the people, and the nations, to whom I now send you,

18 to open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of Satan to God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified by faith that [is] toward Me.

19 After which, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20 but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, also to all the region of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to convert, and to turn back to God, doing works worthy of conversion;

21 because of these things the Jews—having caught me in the temple—were endeavoring to kill [me].

22 Having obtained, therefore, help from God, until this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spoke of as about to come,

23 that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a resurrection from the dead, He is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.”

24 And he thus making a defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “You are mad, Paul; much learning turns you mad!”

25 And he says, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness I speak forth the sayings;

26 for the king knows concerning these things, before whom I also speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing has not been done in a corner;

27 do you believe, King Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that you believe!”

28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In [so] little you persuade me to become a Christian?”

29 And Paul said, “I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only you, but also all those hearing me today, to become such as I also am—except these bonds.”

30 And he having spoken these things, the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and those sitting with them,

31 and having withdrawn, they were speaking to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds”;

32 and Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”