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

¶ Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense which I make now unto 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 when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence, and he said,)

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 indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel and taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous toward God, as ye all are 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,

And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into 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 prince of the priests bears me witness, and all the estate of the elders, from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring those who were bound there unto 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 that, as I made my journey and was come near unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from 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 unto the ground and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute 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 unto me, I Am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou dost persecute.

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].

And those that were with me saw indeed the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of him that spoke 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 unto me, Arise and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for 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 when I could not see for the clarity of that light, being led by the hand of those that were with me, I came into Damascus.

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

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good witness of all the Jews who dwelt there,

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.

came unto me and stood and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon 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 that thou should know his will and see that Just One and should hear the voice 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 his witness unto 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 tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

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 that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a rapture of understanding

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 unto 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 know that I imprisoned and in every synagogue beat those that believed 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 martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting unto his death and kept the raiment of those that slew him.

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

And he said unto me, Depart, for I will send thee far from here unto the Gentiles.

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 gave him audience unto this word and then lifted up their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that 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 cried out and cast off their clothes and threw 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 tribunal commanded him to be brought into the fortress and bade that he should be examined by scourging that he might know why they cried out so 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 ?

And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is 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!

When the centurion heard that, he went and told the tribunal, saying, Take heed what thou doest, 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!

Then the tribunal came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yes.

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

And the tribunal answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free 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.

Then straightway those who should have tormented him departed from him, and the tribunal was also afraid, after he knew 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.

On the next day, because he wanted to know of certainty the cause for which he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands and commanded the princes of the priests and all their council to appear and brought Paul down and set him before them.