1 P aul said, “Brothers and fathers, listen to what I have to say to you.”

Brethren and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make in your presence.

2 W hen they heard him speak to them in their own language, they stopped making noise. Then he said,

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

3 “ I am a Jew. I was born in the city of Tarsus in the country of Cilicia. When I was a young man, I lived here in Jerusalem. I went to Gamaliel’s school and learned all about the Law of our early fathers. I worked hard for God as you all do today.

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.

4 “ I worked hard and killed men and women who believed as I believe today. I put them in chains and sent them to prison.

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

5 T he head religious leader and the leaders of the people can tell you this is true. I got letters from them to take to our Jewish brothers in the city of Damascus. I was going there to put the Christians in chains and bring them to Jerusalem where they would be beaten. The Change in Paul’s Life on the Damascus Road

As 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.

6 “ I was near Damascus. All at once, about noon, I saw a bright light from heaven shining around me.

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

7 I fell to the ground. A voice said to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you work so hard against Me?’

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

8 I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the One you are working against.’

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

9 T hose who were with me saw the light. But they did not hear Him speaking to me.

Now 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].

10 I asked, ‘Lord, what should I do?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up! Go to Damascus. You will be told what to do there.’

And 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.

11 “ I could not see because of the bright light. Those who were with me had to lead me by the hand until we came to Damascus.

And 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.

12 A nanias lived there. He obeyed the Law and was respected by all the Jews.

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

13 H e came and stood near me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ At once I was able to see him.

Came 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.

14 T hen Ananias said, ‘The God of our fathers chose you to know what He wants done. He chose you to see Jesus Christ, the One Right with God, and to hear His voice.

And 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;

15 Y ou are to tell all men what you have seen and heard.

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

16 W hat are you waiting for? Get up! Be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on His name.’ Paul Is Called to Work with the People Who Are Not Jews

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

17 “ I came back to Jerusalem. When I was praying in the house of God, I had a dream.

Then when I had come back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple '> enclosure], I fell into a trance (an ecstasy);

18 I saw Him as He said to me, ‘Get out of Jerusalem! They will not listen to you when you tell them about Me!’

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

19 I said, ‘Lord, they know I took Christians out of every Jewish place of worship. I had them beaten and put in prison.

And 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.

20 A lso when Stephen was killed, I stood there and watched them throw stones at him. Those who threw the stones had me watch their coats.’

And 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.

21 T he Lord said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the people who are not Jews.’ ”

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

22 T hey listened to him until he said that. Then they all cried out with loud voices, “Kill him! Take such a man from the earth! He should not live!”

Up 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!

23 T hey kept on calling out. Then they pulled off their coats and threw dust in the air. Paul Tells Who He Is

And as they were shouting and tossing and waving their garments and throwing dust into the air,

24 T he captain told them to bring Paul into the soldiers’ building. He told his soldiers to find out from Paul, by beating him, why the people were crying out against him.

The 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.

25 A s they tied him up, Paul said to the soldier, “Does the law say that you can beat a Roman citizen when no one has said he is guilty?”

But 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 ?

26 W hen the soldier heard this, he told it to the captain. He said, “Listen! What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen.”

When 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!

27 T he captain came and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” Paul said, “Yes!”

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

28 T he captain said, “I had to pay a lot of money to be a citizen.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”

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

29 T hose who were going to beat him left him at once. The captain was also afraid when he heard that Paul was a Roman citizen because he had him tied. Paul Stands in Front of the Religious Leaders’ Court

Instantly 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.

30 T he next day they took off the chains that were holding Paul. The captain wanted to know why the Jews wanted to kill him. So the captain told the head religious leaders to gather for their court. They brought Paul and put him in front of them.

But 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.