1 "Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you."

2 When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet.

He said, 3 "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 5 as also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

6 "As I made my journey and came close to Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’

9 "Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me. 10 I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’ 11 When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

12 "One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus, 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him. 14 He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. 15 For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

17 "When I had returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’ 19 I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you. 20 When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’

21 "He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’"

22 They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice and said, "Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!"

23 As they cried out, threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air, 24 the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that. 25 When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?"

26 When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, "Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!"

27 The commanding officer came and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?"

He said, "Yes."

28 The commanding officer answered, "I bought my citizenship for a great price."

Paul said, "But I was born a Roman."

29 Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him. 30 But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense [which I make] now unto you.

2 (And when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence, and he said,)

3 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 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 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 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 And I fell unto the ground and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?

8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I Am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou dost persecute.

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

13 came unto me and stood and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

14 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 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

16 And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

17 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 and saw him saying unto me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and in every synagogue beat those that believed on thee;

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

22 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 And as they cried out and cast off [their] clothes and threw dust into the air,

24 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 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 When the centurion heard [that], he went and told the tribunal, saying, Take heed what thou doest, for this man is a Roman.

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

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

29 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 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.: