Paul’s Defense to the Crowd
(Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)

1Ye men brethre and fathers heare myne answere which I make vnto you.

2Whe they hearde that he spake in ye Ebrue tonge to them they kept the moore silence. And he sayde:

3I am verely aman which am a Iewe borne in Tharsus a cite in Cicill: neverthelesse yet brought vp in this cite at ye fete of Gamaliel and informed diligently in the lawe of the fathers and was fervent mynded to Godwarde as ye a ll are this same daye 4and I persecuted this waye vnto the deeth byndynge and delyveringe into preson bothe men and wemen 5as the chefe prest doth beare me witnes and all the elders: of whom also I receaved letters vnto the brethren and wet to Damasco to bringe them which were there bounde vnto Ierusalem for to be punysshed.

6And it fortuned as I made my iorney and was come nye vnto Damasco aboute none yt sodenly ther shone fro heaven a greate lyght rounde aboute me 7and I fell vnto the erth and hearde a voyce sayinge vnto me: Saul Saul why persecutest thou me? 8And I answered: what arte thou Lorde? And he sayd vnto me: I am Iesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest. 9And they that were with me sawe verely a lyght and were a frayde: but they hearde not the voyce of him that spake with me. 10And I sayde: what shall I do Lorde? And the Lorde sayde vnto me: Aryse and goo into Damasco and there it shalbe tolde the of all thinges which are apoynted for the to do. 11And when I sawe nothynge for the brightnes of that light I was ledde by the honde of them that were with me and came into Damasco.

12And one Ananias a perfect man and as pertayninge to the lawe havinge good reporte of all the Iewes which there dwelt 13came vnto me and stode and sayd vnto me: Brother Saul loke vp. And that same houre I receaved my sight and sawe him. 14And he sayde the God of oure fathers hath ordeyned the before that thou shuldest knowe his will and shuldest se that which is rightfull and shuldest heare the voyce of his mouth: 15for thou shalt be his witnes vnto all men of tho thinges which thou thou hast sene and hearde. 16And now: why tariest thou? Aryse and be baptised and wesshe awaye thy synnes in callinge on ye name of ye Lorde.

17And it fortuned when I was come agayne to Ierusalem and prayde in the teple yt I was in a trauce 18and sawe him sayinge vnto me. Make haste and get the quickly out of Ierusalem: for they will not receave thy witnes yt thou bearest of me. 19And I sayde: Lorde they knowe that I presoned and bet in every synagoge them that beleved on the. 20And when the bloud of thy witnes Steven was sheed I also stode by and consented vnto his deeth and kept the rayment of them that slewe him. 21And he sayde vnto me: departe for I will sende the a farre hence vnto the Gentyls.

Paul the Roman Citizen

22They gave him audience vnto this worde and then lifte vp their voyces and sayde: a waye wt soche a felowe fro the erth: yt is pitie that he shuld live. 23And as they cryed and cast of their clothes and thrue dust into ye ayer 24ye captayne bade him to be brought into the castle and commaunded him to be scourged and to be examined that he myght knowe wherfore they cryed on him. 25And as they bounde him with thoges Paul sayde vnto the Centurion that stode by: Ys it laufull for you to scourge a man that is a Romain and vncondempned? 26When the Centurion hearde that he went and tolde the vpper captayne sayinge: What intendest thou to do? This man is a Romayne. 27Then the vpper captayne came and sayde to him: tell me art thou a Romayne? He sayde: Yee. 28And the captayne answered: with a greate some obtayned I this fredome. And Paul sayde: I was fre borne. 29Then strayght waye departed from him they which shuld have examyned him. And the hye captayne also was a frayde after he knewe that he was a Romayne: because he had bounde him.

30On the morowe because he wolde have knowen the certayntie wherfore he was accused of the Iewes he lowsed him from his bondes and commaunded the hye Prestes and all the counsell to come together and brought Paul and set him before them.