New American Standard Bible 1995

NET Bible

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

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.

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

4I persecuted this Way even to the point of death, tying up both men and women and putting them in prison,

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.

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"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,

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?'

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

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

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.

9Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

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.'

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.'

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.

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"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,

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

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.

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,

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

15because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.

16'Now why do you delay? Get up 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"It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,

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

18and I 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.'

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.

19I replied, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues who believed in you.

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.'

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.'

21"And 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.'"

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!"

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 crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

23While they were screaming and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust in the air,

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.

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 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?"

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 commander and told him, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman."

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."

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

27So the commanding officer came and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" He replied, "Yes."

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

28The commanding officer answered, "I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money." "But I was even born a citizen," Paul replied.

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.

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, 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.

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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