Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

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

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

2When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter.

2And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said,

3He continued, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.

3"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.

4I persecuted this Way to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail,

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

5as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

5as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.

6"As I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.

6"But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me,

7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

7and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'

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

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

9Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

9"And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

10"I said, 'What should I do, Lord?' "The Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.'

10"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 of all that has been appointed for you to do.'

11"Since I couldn't see because of the brightness of the light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus.

11"But 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 came into Damascus.

12Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good reputation with all the Jews living there,

12"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,

13came and stood by me and said, 'Brother Saul, regain your sight.' And in that very hour I looked up and saw him.

13came to me, and standing near said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very time I looked up at him.

14And he said, 'The God of our ancestors has appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the words from his mouth,

14"And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth.

15since you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.

15'For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'

16'Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'

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

17"It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,

18and saw him telling me, 'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'

18and I saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'

19"But I said, 'Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten.

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

20And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval and guarding the clothes of those who killed him.'

20'And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.'

21"He said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' "

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

22They listened to him up to this point. Then they raised their voices, shouting, "Wipe this man off the face of the earth! He should not be allowed to live!"

22They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!"

23As they were yelling and flinging aside their garments and throwing dust into the air,

23And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

24the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be interrogated with the scourge to discover the reason they were shouting against him like this.

24the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way.

25As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, "Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?"

25But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?"

26When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, "What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen."

26When 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."

27The commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.

27The commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" And he said, "Yes."

28The commander replied, "I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money." "But I was born a citizen," Paul said.

28The commander answered, "I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money." And Paul said, "But I was actually born a citizen."

29So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him.

29Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains.

30The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene. He brought Paul down and placed him before them.

30But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org