13. at midday, O King, I saw on the road a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me.
14. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against goads!’
15. “Then I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “And the Lord said, ‘I am Yeshua—whom you are persecuting.
16. But get up, and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose—to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things you have seen as well as to the things I will yet reveal to you.
17. I will rescue you from your own people, and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you,
18. to open their eyes—so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive release from sins as well as a place among those who are made holy through trusting in Me.’
19. “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
20. Rather, I kept declaring—first to those in Damascus, and then Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also the Gentiles—that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with that repentance.
21. “For this reason some Judeans seized me in the Temple and tried to put me to death.
22. Since I have had God’s help, to this day I have stood here testifying to both small and great. I am saying nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to happen—
23. that the Messiah was to suffer and that, being first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light both to our people and to the nations.”
24. As Paul was thus making his defense, Festus says with a loud voice, “You’re crazy, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
25. But Paul declares, “I am not insane, most noble Festus! Rather I am speaking the sober truth.
26. For the king knows about these things, and I speak freely to him, since I am convinced that none of these things escape his notice—for this was not done in a corner.
27. King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do believe!”