New American Standard Bible 1995

New Living Translation

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

1“Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.”

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

2When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.

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.

3Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today.

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

4And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing 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.

5The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, 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,

6“As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me.

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

7I 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.'

8“‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one 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.

9The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice 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.'

10“I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ “And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are 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.

11“I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions.

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 lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus.

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

13He came and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And that very moment I could see 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.

14“Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak.

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

15For you are to be his witness, telling everyone 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.'

16What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’

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

17“After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and 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.'

18I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t 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.

19“‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those 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 I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.’

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

21“But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for 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 listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!”

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

23They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air. Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship

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 commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious.

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 tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?”

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 officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you doing? 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 commander went over and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied.

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

28“I am, too,” the commander muttered, “and it cost me plenty!” Paul answered, “But I am a citizen by birth!”

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.

29The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped. Paul before the High Council

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 the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them.

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