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"Brothers and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you."

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

And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, 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,)

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all 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.

"I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons,

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

as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brothers, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners 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.

"But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus at about noon, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all 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.

and 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?

"And I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.'

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

"And those who were with me saw the light, but 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.

"And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything that has been appointed 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.

"But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I came into Damascus being led by the hand by those who were with me.

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.

"Now a certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

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

came to me, and standing nearby he said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I looked up at him.

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

"And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear a message 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.

'For you will be a witness for Him 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.

'Now why do you delay? Get up and 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.

"It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that 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;

and I saw Him saying to me, 'Hurry and get out of 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.

"And I said, 'Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.

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

'And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing nearby and approving, and watching over the cloaks 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.

"And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"

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

They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a man from the earth, for 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.

And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

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

the commander ordered that he be brought into the barracks, saying that he was to be interrogated by flogging so that he would find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way.

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.

But when they stretched him out with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?"

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?

When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman."

When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

The commander came and said to Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" And he said, "Yes."

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

The commander answered, "I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money." And Paul said, "But I was actually born a citizen."

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

Therefore, those who were about to interrogate him immediately backed away from him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains.

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.

Now on the next day, wanting to know for certain why Paul had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and he brought Paul down and placed him 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.