26 ¹ Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defence:

26 ² "I think myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defence today against all the accusations of the Jews, 26 ³ because you are especially familiar with all customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

26 ⁴ "My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 26 ⁵ They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. 26 ⁶ And now I stand here on trial for hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, 26 ⁷ to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! 26 ⁸ Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

26 ⁹ "I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 26 ¹⁰ And I did so in Jerusalem; I not only shut up many of the saints in prison, by authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 26 ¹¹ And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme; and in raging fury against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.