^{1 Ref} `Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defence now unto you;' --

^{2 Ref} and they having heard that in the Hebrew dialect he was speaking to them, gave the more silence, and he saith, --

^{3 Ref} `I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactitude of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all ye are to-day.

^{4 Ref} `And this way I persecuted unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women,

^{5 Ref} as also the chief priest doth testify to me, and all the eldership; from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, to Damascus, I was going on, to bring also those there bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished,

^{6 Ref} and it came to pass, in my going on and coming nigh to Damascus, about noon, suddenly out of the heaven there shone a great light round about me,

^{7 Ref} I fell also to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?

^{8 Ref} `And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? and he said unto me, I am Jesus the Nazarene whom thou dost persecute --

^{9 Ref} and they who are with me the light did see, and became afraid, and the voice they heard not of him who is speaking to me --

^{10 Ref} and I said, What shall I do, Lord? and the Lord said unto me, Having risen, go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things that have been appointed for thee to do.

^{11 Ref} `And when I did not see from the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who are with me, I came to Damascus,

^{12 Ref} and a certain one, Ananias, a pious man according to the law, being testified to by all the Jews dwelling `there',

^{13 Ref} having come unto me and stood by `me', said to me, Saul, brother, look up; and I the same hour did look up to him;

^{14 Ref} and he said, The God of our fathers did choose thee beforehand to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice out of his mouth,

^{15 Ref} because thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard;

^{16 Ref} and now, why tarriest thou? having risen, baptize thyself, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

^{17 Ref} `And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance,

^{18 Ref} and I saw him saying to me, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me;

^{19 Ref} and I said, Lord, they -- they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing on thee;

^{20 Ref} and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was being poured forth, I also was standing by and assenting to his death, and keeping the garments of those putting him to death;

^{21 Ref} and he said unto me, Go, because to nations far off I will send thee.'

^{22 Ref} And they were hearing him unto this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, `Away from the earth with such an one; for it is not fit for him to live.'

^{23 Ref} And they crying out and casting up their garments, and throwing dust into the air,

^{24 Ref} the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, saying, `By scourges let him be examined;' that he might know for what cause they were crying so against him.

^{25 Ref} And as he was stretching him with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who was standing by, `A man, a Roman, uncondemned -- is it lawful to you to scourge;'

^{26 Ref} and the centurion having heard, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, `Take heed what thou art about to do, for this man is a Roman;'

²⁷ and the chief captain having come near, said to him, `Tell me, art thou a Roman?' and he said, `Yes;'

²⁸ and the chief captain answered, `I, with a great sum, did obtain this citizenship;' but Paul said, `But I have been even born `so'.'

^{29 Ref} Immediately, therefore, they departed from him who are about to examine him, and the chief captain also was afraid, having learned that he is a Roman, and because he had bound him,

^{30 Ref} and on the morrow, intending to know the certainty wherefore he is accused by the Jews, he did loose him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their sanhedrim to come, and having brought down Paul, he set `him' before them.

^{1 Ref} Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.

^{2 Ref} (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

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

^{5 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

^{8 Ref} And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

^{9 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

^{13 Ref} Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

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

^{16 Ref} And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

^{17 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

^{20 Ref} 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 Ref} And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

^{22 Ref} 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 Ref} And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,

^{24 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

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

^{29 Ref} 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 Ref} 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.

^{1 Ref} Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence which I now make unto you.

^{2 Ref} And when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, they were the more quiet: and he saith,

^{3 Ref} I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day:

^{4 Ref} and I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

^{5 Ref} 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 journeyed to Damascus to bring them also that were there unto Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

^{6 Ref} And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

^{7 Ref} And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

^{8 Ref} And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

^{9 Ref} And they that were with me beheld indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

^{10 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 Ref} And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt there,

^{13 Ref} came unto me, and standing by me said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And in that very hour I looked up on him.

^{14 Ref} And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

^{15 Ref} For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

^{16 Ref} And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.

^{17 Ref} And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

^{18 Ref} and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.

^{19 Ref} And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

^{20 Ref} and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them that slew him.

^{21 Ref} And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles.

^{22 Ref} And they gave him audience unto this word; and they lifted up their voice, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

^{23 Ref} And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,

^{24 Ref} the chief captain commanded him be brought into the castle, bidding that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they so shouted against him.

^{25 Ref} And when they had tied him up with the 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 Ref} And when the centurion heard it, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, What art thou about to do? for this man is a Roman.

²⁷ And the chief captain came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yea.

²⁸ And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship. And Paul said, But I am `a Roman' born.

^{29 Ref} They then that were about to examine him straightway departed from him: and the chief captain also was afraid when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

^{30 Ref} But on the morrow, desiring to know the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.