Paul's Defense Before Agrippa

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Yoʋ have permission to speak for yoʋrself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began to make his defense: 2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before yoʋ, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense today concerning all the things of which I am being accused by the Jews, 3 especially since [fn]yoʋ are acquainted with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg yoʋ to listen to me patiently.

4 “All the Jews know about my manner of life from my youth up, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation [fn]in Jerusalem. 5 They have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our fathers, 7 a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve him night and day. Regarding this hope, [fn]King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews. 8 Why is it deemed unbelievable by you that God raises the dead?

9 “Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. [fn]I locked up many of the saints in prison by the authority I received from the chief priests, and when they were being put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 I also punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. And being furiously enraged against them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.