1 Men, brothers, and fathers, hear now my defense to you.

2 And having heard that he called out to them in the Hebrew language, they offered more silence. And he says,

3 I am indeed a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but reared in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, reared accurately in the paternal law, being a zealot of God, as ye all are today.

4 And I persecuted this Way as far as death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 As also the high priest testifies about me, and all the senior council, from whom also having received letters to the brothers in Damascus, I was going to bring bound even those who were there to Jerusalem so that they might be pun

6 And there happened to me, while going and approaching Damascus about noon, suddenly to flash forth from heaven a great light around me.

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

8 And I answered, Who are thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou persecute.

9 And those who were with me indeed saw the light and became afraid, but they heard not the voice of him who spoke to me.

10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, After rising, go into Damascus, and there it will be told thee about all things that have been assigned for thee to do.

11 And as I was not seeing from the splendor of that light, I came into Damascus, being led by hand by those who accompanied me.

12 And a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report by all the Jews who dwell there,

13 having come near me, and having stood by, he said to me, Brother Saul, look up. And I looked up on him the same hour.

14 And he said, The God of our fathers appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous man, and to hear a voice from his mouth,

15 because thou will be a witness for him to all men of the things that thou have seen and heard.

16 And now what is it going to be? Having arisen, immerse and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

17 And it came to pass, my having returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, for me to became in a trance.

18 And I saw him saying to me, Hurry and depart in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept thy testimony about me.

19 And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those who believe in thee.

20 And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I myself also was standing by, and approving his killing, and keeping the garments of those who killed him.

21 And he said to me, Depart, because I will send thee far away to Gentiles.

22 And they heard him until this word. And they lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a man from the earth, for he is not fit to live.

23 And of them crying out, and throwing off their garments, and casting dust into the air,

24 the chief captain commanded him be brought into the fort, having said to examine him by scourging, so that he might know for what reason they shouted against him this way.

25 And as they stretched him out with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it permitted for you to scourge a Roman man, and uncondemned?

26 And when the centurion heard, having come to the chief captain, he reported, saying, Look! What are thou about to do? For this man is a Roman.

27 And the chief captain having come, he said to him, Tell me if thou are a Roman. And he said, Yes.

28 And the chief captain answered, Of a great sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But then I was born so.

29 Straightway therefore those who were about to examine him withdrew from him. And the chief captain was also afraid when he learned that he was a Roman, and because he was who bound him.

30 But on the morrow, wanting to know the certainty of why he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to come. And having brought Paul down, he set him before them.

1 Ye men brethre and fathers heare myne answere which I make vnto you.

2 Whe they hearde that he spake in ye Ebrue tonge to them they kept the moore silence. And he sayde:

3 I am verely aman which am a Iewe borne in Tharsus a cite in Cicill: neverthelesse yet brought vp in this cite at ye fete of Gamaliel and informed diligently in the lawe of the fathers and was fervent mynded to Godwarde as ye all are this same daye

4 and I persecuted this waye vnto the deeth byndynge and delyveringe into preson bothe men and wemen

5 as the chefe prest doth beare me witnes and all the elders: of whom also I receaved letters vnto the brethren and wet to Damasco to bringe them which were there bounde vnto Ierusalem for to be punysshed.

6 And it fortuned as I made my iorney and was come nye vnto Damasco aboute none yt sodenly ther shone fro heaven a greate lyght rounde aboute me

7 and I fell vnto the erth and hearde a voyce sayinge vnto me: Saul Saul why persecutest thou me?

8 And I answered: what arte thou Lorde? And he sayd vnto me: I am Iesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest.

9 And they that were with me sawe verely a lyght and were a frayde: but they hearde not the voyce of him that spake with me.

10 And I sayde: what shall I do Lorde? And the Lorde sayde vnto me: Aryse and goo into Damasco and there it shalbe tolde the of all thinges which are apoynted for the to do.

11 And when I sawe nothynge for the brightnes of that light I was ledde by the honde of them that were with me and came into Damasco.

12 And one Ananias a perfect man and as pertayninge to the lawe havinge good reporte of all the Iewes which there dwelt

13 came vnto me and stode and sayd vnto me: Brother Saul loke vp. And that same houre I receaved my sight and sawe him.

14 And he sayde the God of oure fathers hath ordeyned the before that thou shuldest knowe his will and shuldest se that which is rightfull and shuldest heare the voyce of his mouth:

15 for thou shalt be his witnes vnto all men of tho thinges which thou thou hast sene and hearde.

16 And now: why tariest thou? Aryse and be baptised and wesshe awaye thy synnes in callinge on ye name of ye Lorde.

17 And it fortuned when I was come agayne to Ierusalem and prayde in the teple yt I was in a trauce

18 and sawe him sayinge vnto me. Make haste and get the quickly out of Ierusalem: for they will not receave thy witnes yt thou bearest of me.

19 And I sayde: Lorde they knowe that I presoned and bet in every synagoge them that beleved on the.

20 And when the bloud of thy witnes Steven was sheed I also stode by and consented vnto his deeth and kept the rayment of them that slewe him.

21 And he sayde vnto me: departe for I will sende the a farre hence vnto the Gentyls.

22 They gave him audience vnto this worde and then lifte vp their voyces and sayde: a waye wt soche a felowe fro the erth: yt is pitie that he shuld live.

23 And as they cryed and cast of their clothes and thrue dust into ye ayer

24 ye captayne bade him to be brought into the castle and commaunded him to be scourged and to be examined that he myght knowe wherfore they cryed on him.

25 And as they bounde him with thoges Paul sayde vnto the Centurion that stode by: Ys it laufull for you to scourge a man that is a Romain and vncondempned?

26 When the Centurion hearde that he went and tolde the vpper captayne sayinge: What intendest thou to do? This man is a Romayne.

27 Then the vpper captayne came and sayde to him: tell me art thou a Romayne? He sayde: Yee.

28 And the captayne answered: with a greate some obtayned I this fredome. And Paul sayde: I was fre borne.

29 Then strayght waye departed from him they which shuld have examyned him. And the hye captayne also was a frayde after he knewe that he was a Romayne: because he had bounde him.

30 On the morowe because he wolde have knowen the certayntie wherfore he was accused of the Iewes he lowsed him from his bondes and commaunded the hye Prestes and all the counsell to come together and brought Paul and set him before them.