2. King Agrippa, I am glad for this chance to defend myself before you today on all these charges that my own people have brought against me.
3. You know a lot about our religious customs and the beliefs that divide us. So I ask you to listen patiently to me.
4-5. All the Jews have known me since I was a child. They know what kind of life I have lived in my own country and in Jerusalem. And if they were willing, they could tell you that I was a Pharisee, a member of a group that is stricter than any other.
6. Now I am on trial because I believe the promise God made to our people long ago.
7. Day and night our twelve tribes have earnestly served God, waiting for his promised blessings. King Agrippa, because of this hope, the Jewish leaders have brought charges against me.