1 B rethren and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make in your presence.

Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you.

2 A nd when they heard that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they were all the more quiet. And he continued,

And hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says,

3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but reared in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated according to the strictest care in the Law of our fathers, being ardent for God, as all of you are today.

I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to exactness of the law of fathers, being zealous for God, as ye are all this day;

4 I harassed (troubled, molested, and persecuted) this Way to the death, putting in chains and committing to prison both men and women,

who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women;

5 A s the high priest and whole council of elders (Sanhedrin) can testify; for from them indeed I received letters with which I was on my way to the brethren in Damascus in order to take also those who were there, and bring them in chains to Jerusalem that they might be punished.

as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood: from whom also, having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus to bring those also who were there, bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished.

6 B ut as I was on my journey and approached Damascus, about noon a great blaze of light flashed suddenly from heaven and shone about me.

And it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid-day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me.

7 A nd I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me ?

And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

8 A nd I replied, Who are You, Lord? And He said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, Whom you are persecuting.

And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom thou persecutest.

9 N ow the men who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear '> the sound of the uttered words of] the voice of the One Who was speaking to me '> understand it].

But they that were with me beheld the light,, but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me.

10 A nd I asked, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord answered me, Get up and go into Damascus, and there it will be told you all that it is destined and appointed for you to do.

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee to do.

11 A nd since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and I arrived in Damascus.

And as I could not see, through the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus.

12 A nd one Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, well spoken of by all the Jews who resided there,

And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt,

13 C ame to see me, and standing by my side said to me, Brother Saul, look up and receive back your sight. And in that very instant I looking up saw him.

coming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And I, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him.

14 A nd he said, The God of our forefathers has destined and appointed you to come progressively to know His will, and to see the Righteous One (Jesus Christ, the Messiah), and to hear a voice from His mouth and a message from His lips;

And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth;

15 F or you will be His witness unto all men of everything that you have seen and heard.

for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

16 A nd now, why do you delay? Rise and be baptized, and by calling upon His name, wash away your sins.

And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name.

17 T hen when I had come back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple '> enclosure], I fell into a trance (an ecstasy);

And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy,

18 A nd I saw Him as He said to me, Hurry, get quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive your testimony about Me.

and saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

19 A nd I said, Lord, they themselves well know that throughout all the synagogues I cast into prison and flogged those who believed on (adhered to and trusted in and relied on) You.

And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee;

20 A nd when the blood of Your witness (martyr) Stephen was shed, I also was personally standing by and consenting and approving and guarding the garments of those who slew him.

and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting, and kept the clothes of them who killed him.

21 A nd the Lord said to me, Go, for I will send you far away unto the Gentiles (nations).

And he said to me, Go, for I will send thee to the nations afar off.

22 U p to the moment that Paul made this last statement, the people listened to him; but now they raised their voices and shouted, Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is not fit to live!

And they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live.

23 A nd as they were shouting and tossing and waving their garments and throwing dust into the air,

And as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air,

24 T he commandant ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks, and that he be examined by scourging in order that might learn why the people cried out thus against him.

the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain for what cause they cried thus against him.

25 B ut when they had stretched him out with the thongs (leather straps), Paul asked the centurion who was standing by, Is it legal for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned ?

But as they stretched him forward with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man a Roman and uncondemned?

26 W hen the centurion heard that, he went to the commandant and said to him, What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen!

And the centurion, having heard it, went and reported it to the chiliarch, saying, What art thou going to do? for this man is a Roman.

27 S o the commandant came and said to, Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? And he said, Yes!

And the chiliarch coming up said to him, Tell me, Art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes.

28 T he commandant replied, I purchased this citizenship for a big price. Paul said, But I was born!

And the chiliarch answered, I, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was also born.

29 I nstantly those who were about to examine and flog him withdrew from him; and the commandant also was frightened, for he realized that was a Roman citizen and he had put him in chains.

Immediately therefore those who were going to examine him left him, and the chiliarch also was afraid when he ascertained that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

30 B ut the next day, desiring to know the real cause for which the Jews accused him, he unbound him and ordered the chief priests and all the council (Sanhedrin) to assemble; and he brought Paul down and placed him before them.

And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them.