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

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.

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 spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

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 verily a man which am 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 perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

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.

And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons 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 also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

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

And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round 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 unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou 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 answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

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

And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

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 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 “ 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 when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into 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, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt 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 unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon 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 fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

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

For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast 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 tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

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

And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

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 saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning 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 know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

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 thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

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

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

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!”

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 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 cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw 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 chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so 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?”

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 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 and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

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

Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

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.”

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

Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

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.

On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.