1 “Men—brothers and fathers—listen to my defense to you now!”
2 And
3 “I am a Jewish man born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the exactness of the law received from our fathers, being zealous for God, just as all
5 as indeed the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me, from whom also I received letters to the brothers in Damascus,
6 “And it happened that
7 and 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.’
9 (Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.)
10 So I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up
11 And as I could not see as a result of the brightness of that light, I arrived in Damascus led by the hand of those who were with me.
12 And a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who live
13 came to me and stood by
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 a voice from his mouth,
15 because you will be a witness for him
16 And now why are you delaying? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name!’
17 “And it happened that
18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and depart
19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that from synagogue
20 And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself also was standing near and was approving, and was guarding the cloaks of those who were killing him.’
21 And he said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’ ”
22 Now they were listening to him until this word, and they raised their voices, saying, “Away with such a man from the earth! For it is not fitting
23 And
24 the military tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks,
25 But when they had stretched him out for the lash,
26 And
27 So the military tribune came
28 And the military tribune replied, “I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I indeed was born
29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him kept away from him, and the military tribune also was afraid
30 But on the next day,