1 Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:3 I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ Law, and was zealous toward God 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 bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring even those who were there, bound, to Jerusalem to be punished.6 Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from Heaven shone around me.7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?8 So I answered, Who are You, Sir? And He said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.9 And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the words uttered by Him who spoke to me.10 So I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.12 Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And at that same instant I looked up at him.14 Then he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice out of His mouth.15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be immersed, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.17 And it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance18 and saw Him saying to me, Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.19 So I said, Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those believing on You.20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.21 Then He said to me, Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!23 Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined by scourging, so that he might know for what reason they shouted so against him.25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not condemned by trial?26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, Take heed what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman.27 Then the commander came and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, Yes.28 And the commander answered, With a large sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was free born.29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him stood away from him; and the commander was also afraid after he fully knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.30 The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

1 Britheren and fadris, here ye what resoun Y yelde now to you.2 And whanne sum herden that in Ebrew tunge he spak to hem, thei yauen the more silence.3 And he seide, Y am a man a Jew, borun at Tharse of Cilicie, nurischid and in this citee bisidis the feet of Gamaliel, tauyt bi the treuthe of fadris lawe, a louyere of the lawe, as also ye alle ben to dai.4 And Y pursuede this weie til to the deth, byndynge and bitakinge `in to holdis men and wymmen,5 as the prince of prestis yeldith witnessyng to me, and alle the grettest in birth. Of whom also Y took pistlis to britheren, and wente to Damask, to bring fro thennys men boundun in to Jerusalem, that thei schulden be peyned.6 And it was don, while Y yede, and neiyede to Damask, at myddai sudeynli fro heuene a greet plente of liyt schoon aboute me.7 And Y felde doun to the erthe, and herde a voice fro heuene, seiynge to me, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me? It is hard to thee to kike ayens the pricke.8 And Y answeride, Who art thou, Lord? And he seide to me, Y am Jhesu of Nazareth, whom thou pursuest.9 And thei that weren with me sien but the liyt, but thei herden not the vois of hym, that spak with me.10 And Y seide, Lord, what schal Y do? And the Lord seide to me, Rise thou, and go to Damask; and there it schal be seid to thee, of alle thingis which it bihoueth thee to do.11 And whanne Y saye not, for the clerete of that liyt, Y was led bi the hond of felowis, and Y cam to Damask.12 And a man, Ananye, that bi the lawe hadde wytnessyng of alle Jewis dwellinge in Damask,13 cam to me, and stood niy, and seide to me, Saul, brother, biholde. And Y in the same our biheelde in to hym.14 And he seide, God of oure fadris hath bifor ordeyned thee, that thou schuldist knowe the wille of him, and schuldist se the riytful man, and here the vois of his mouth.15 For thou schalt be his witnesse to alle men, of tho thingis that thou hast seyn and herd.16 And now, what dwellist thou? Rise vp, and be baptisid, and waische awei thi synnes, bi the name of hym clepid to help.17 And it was don to me, as Y turnede ayen in to Jerusalem, and preyede in the temple, that Y was maad in rauysching of soule,18 and Y siy him seiynge to me, Hiye thou, and go out faste of Jerusalem, for thei schulen not resseyue thi witnessing of me.19 And Y seide, Lord, thei witen, that Y was closing togidir `in to prisoun, and betinge bi synagogis hem that bileueden `in to thee.20 And whanne the blood of Steuene, thi witnesse, was sched out, Y stood niy, and consentide, and kept the clothis of men that slowen hym.21 And he seide to me, Go thou, for Y schal sende thee fer to naciouns.22 And thei herden him til this word; and thei reiseden her vois, and seiden, Take awei fro the erthe siche a maner man; for it is not leueful, that he lyue.23 And whanne thei crieden, and kesten awei her clothis, and threwen dust in to the eir,24 the tribune comaundide hym to be led in to castels, and to be betun with scourgis, and to be turmentid, that he wiste, for what cause thei crieden so to him.25 And whanne thei hadden boundun hym with cordis, Poul seide to a centurien stondinge niy to hym, Whether it is leueful to you, to scourge a Romayn, and vndampned?26 And whanne this thing was herd, the centurien wente to the tribune, and telde to hym, and seide, What art thou to doynge? for this man is a citeseyn of Rome.27 And the tribune cam niy, and seide to hym, Seie thou to me, whether thou art a Romayn?28 And he seide, Yhe. And the tribune answeride, Y with myche summe gat this fredom. And Poul seide, And Y was borun a citeseyn of Rome.29 Therfor anoon thei that schulden haue turmentid hym, departiden awei fro hym. And the tribune dredde, aftir that he wiste, that he was a citeseyn of Rome, and for he hadde boundun hym.30 But in the dai suynge he wolde wite more diligentli, for what cause he were accusid of the Jewis, and vnbounde hym, and comaundide prestis and al the counsel to come togidir. And he brouyte forth Poul, and sette hym among hem.