| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1“Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.” | 1"Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense that I now make to you." |
| 2And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said: | 2(When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter.) Then Paul said, |
| 3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. | 3"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated with strictness under Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors, and was zealous for God just as all of you are today. |
| 4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, | 4I persecuted this Way even to the point of death, tying up both men and women and putting them in prison, |
| 5as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. | 5as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to make arrests there and bring the prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. |
| 6“As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. | 6As I was en route and near Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. |
| 7And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ | 7Then I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' |
| 8And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ | 8I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' |
| 9Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. | 9Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. |
| 10And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ | 10So I asked, 'What should I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything that you have been designated to do.' |
| 11And 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. | 11Since I could not see because of the brilliance of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of those who were with me. |
| 12“And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, | 12A man named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who live there, |
| 13came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. | 13came to me and stood beside me and said to me, 'Brother Saul, regain your sight!' And at that very moment I looked up and saw him. |
| 14And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; | 14Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors has already chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a command from his mouth, |
| 15for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. | 15because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. |
| 16And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’ | 16And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.' |
| 17“When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance | 17When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance |
| 18and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ | 18and saw the Lord saying to me, 'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' |
| 19And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. | 19I replied, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues who believed in you. |
| 20And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ | 20And when the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing nearby, approving, and guarding the cloaks of those who were killing him.' |
| 21And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” | 21Then he said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" |
| 22Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” | 22The crowd was listening to him until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Away with this man from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!" |
| 23And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, | 23While they were screaming and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust in the air, |
| 24the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. | 24the commanding officer ordered Paul to be brought back into the barracks. He told them to interrogate Paul by beating him with a lash so that he could find out the reason the crowd was shouting at Paul in this way. |
| 25But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” | 25When they had stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing nearby, "Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen without a proper trial?" |
| 26When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” | 26When the centurion heard this, he went to the commanding officer and reported it, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen." |
| 27So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” | 27So the commanding officer came and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" He replied, "Yes." |
| 28The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” | 28The commanding officer answered, "I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money." "But I was even born a citizen," Paul replied. |
| 29So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him. | 29Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away from him, and the commanding officer was frightened when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had had him tied up. |
| 30But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. | 30The next day, because the commanding officer wanted to know the true reason Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council to assemble. He then brought Paul down and had him stand before them. |
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