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

`Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defence 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 they having heard that in the Hebrew dialect he was speaking to them, gave the more silence, and he saith, --

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, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactitude of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all ye are to-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 this way I persecuted 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 chief priest doth testify to me, and all the eldership; from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, to Damascus, I was going on, to bring also those there bound to Jerusalem that they might 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, in my going on and coming nigh to Damascus, about noon, suddenly out of the heaven there shone 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 ?

I fell also to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?

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 the Nazarene 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 they who are with me the light did see, and became afraid, and the voice they heard not of him who is 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 unto me, Having risen, go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things that have been 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 did not see from the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who are 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 one, Ananias, a pious man according to the law, being testified to by all the Jews dwelling,

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.

having come unto me and stood by, said to me, Saul, brother, look up; and I the same hour did look up to 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 did choose thee beforehand to know His will, and to see the Righteous 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.

because 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? having risen, baptize thyself, and wash away thy sins, calling upon 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 when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance,

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 I saw him saying to me, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because 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 -- they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing 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 being poured forth, I also was standing by and assenting to his death, and keeping the garments of those putting him to death;

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, Go, because to nations far off I will send thee.'

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 were hearing him unto this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, `Away from the earth with such an one; for it is not fit for him to live.'

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

And they crying out and casting up their garments, and throwing 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 chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, saying, `By scourges let him be examined;' that he might know for what cause they were crying 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 he was stretching him with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who was standing by, `A man, a Roman, uncondemned -- is it lawful to you to scourge;'

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, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, `Take heed what thou art about 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 chief captain having come near, 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 chief captain answered, `I, with a great sum, did obtain this citizenship;' but Paul said, `But I have been even 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, they departed from him who are about to examine him, and the chief captain also was afraid, having learned that he is 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, intending to know the certainty wherefore he is accused by the Jews, he did loose him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their sanhedrim to come, and having brought down Paul, he set before them.