Acts

Paul’s Defense to the Crowd

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

2When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew,they became even more silent. Then Paul declared,

3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.

4I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,

5as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

6About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.

7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

8‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.

9My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

10Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’

11Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.

12There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,

13came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

14Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice.

15You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

16And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’

17Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance

18and saw the Lordsaying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’

19‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.

20And when the blood of Your witnessStephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’

21Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

Paul the Roman Citizen

22The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”

23As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

24the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.

25But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”

26On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “What are you going to do?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.

28“I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29At once those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.

30The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrinto assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

1Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye the account which I now give unto you.

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

3And he saith: I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, as also all you are this day:

4Who persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5As the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the ancients: from whom also receiving letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus, that I might bring them bound from thence to Jerusalem to be punished.

6And it came to pass, as I was going, and drawing nigh to Damascus at midday, that suddenly from heaven there shone round about me a great light:

7And falling on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

8And I answered: Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

9And they that were with me, saw indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spoke with me.

10And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise, and go to Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things that thou must do.

11And whereas I did not see for the brightness of that light, being led by the hand by my companions, I came to Damascus.

12And one Ananias, a man according to the law, having testimony of all the Jews who dwelt there,

13Coming to me, and standing by me, said to me: Brother Saul, look up. And I the same hour looked upon him.

14But he said: The God of our fathers hath preordained thee that thou shouldst know his will, and see the Just One, and shouldst hear the voice from his mouth.

15For thou shalt be his witness to all men, of those things which thou hast seen and heard.

16And now why tarriest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, invoking his name.

17And it came to pass, when I was come again to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance,

18And saw him saying unto me: Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

19And I said: Lord, they know that I cast into prison, and beat in every synagogue, them that believed in thee.

20And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I stood by and consented, and kept the garments of them that killed him.

21And he said to me: Go, for unto the Gentiles afar off, will I send thee.

22And they heard him until this word, and then lifted up their voice, saying: Away with such an one from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.

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

24The tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and that he should be scourged and tortured: to know for what cause they did so cry out against him.

25And when they had bound him with thongs, Paul saith to the centurion that stood by him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

26Which the centurion hearing, went to the tribune, and told him, saying: What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.

27And the tribune coming, said to him: Tell me, art thou a Roman? But he said: Yea.

28And the tribune answered: I obtained the being free of this city with a great sum. And Paul said: But I was born so.

29Immediately therefore they departed from him that were about to torture him. The tribune also was afraid after he understood that he was a Roman citizen, and because he had bound him.

30But on the next day, meaning to know more diligently for what cause he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the priests to come together, and all the council: and bringing forth Paul, he set him before them.