1 Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.

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

2 When they heard that he was speaking to them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet, and 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, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our ancestors. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are 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 persecuted this Way to the point of death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison.

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

5 As the high priest and the council of elders can testify, I even obtained letters from them to the brothers in Damascus and went there to bring back these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

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 But as I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed 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 and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

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

8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’

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

9 Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of the one who was 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, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus. There you will be told everything that has been assigned for you to do.’

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 Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and went into 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 man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was well spoken of by all the Jews living there,

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

13 He came to me, stood by, and said, 'Brother Saul, regain your sight!' At that moment, I looked up and could 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 Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from His mouth.

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 For you will be His witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.

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

16 And now, why delay? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name.

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

17 After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance.

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 saying to me, 'Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony 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 But I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You in the synagogues.

And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

20 And when the blood of Your servant Stephen was being shed, I stood there, giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'

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 Then He said to me, 'Go, because I am sending you far away to the Gentiles.'

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

22 They listened to him until this statement. Then they raised their voices, shouting, 'Rid the earth of this man! He should not be allowed to 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 As they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and flinging dust into the air,

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

24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks and directed that he be interrogated under flogging to understand the reason they were shouting against him like this.

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 As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing there, 'Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t been condemned?'

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 this, he went to the commander and reported it, saying, 'What are you about to do? 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 The commander came and asked him, '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 The commander responded, 'I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money.' But Paul said, 'I was born a citizen.'

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

29 Immediately, those who were about to interrogate him stepped away. The commander was also afraid, realizing that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

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 The next day, wanting to know for certain why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before 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.