New Living Translation

King James Bible

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

1Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.

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

2(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

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.

3I 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.

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

4And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

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.

5As 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.

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

6And 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.

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

7And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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

8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

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

9And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

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.’

10And 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.

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

11And 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.

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.

12And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

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

13Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

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.

14And 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.

15For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard.

15For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

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

16And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

17“After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance.

17And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

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

18And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

19“‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.

19And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

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.’

20And 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.

21“But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’ ”

21And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

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!”

22And 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.

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

23And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,

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.

24The 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.

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?”

25And 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?

26When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”

26When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

27So the commander went over and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied.

27Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

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

28And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.

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

29Then 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.

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.

30On 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.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.