| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” | 1Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you." |
| 2When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. Then Paul declared, | 2When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter. |
| 3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just as zealous for God as any of you here today. | 3He continued, "I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel and educated according to the strict view of our patriarchal law. Being zealous for God, just as all of you are today, |
| 4I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison, | 4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women in jail, |
| 5as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished. | 5as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to bring those who were prisoners there to be punished in Jerusalem." |
| 6About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. | 6As I was traveling and near Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. |
| 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ | 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'" |
| 8‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. | 8I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?'" He said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, the One you are persecuting!' |
| 9My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me. | 9Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the One who was speaking to me." |
| 10Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’ | 10Then I said, 'What should I do, Lord?'" And the Lord told me, Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything that is assigned for you to do.'" |
| 11Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus. | 11Since I couldn't see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. |
| 12There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there, | 12Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good reputation with all the Jews residing there, |
| 13came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him. | 13came and stood by me and said, 'Brother Saul, regain your sight.' And in that very hour I looked up and saw him. |
| 14Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear His voice. | 14Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of His voice. |
| 15You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard. | 15For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard. |
| 16And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’ | 16And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name.'" |
| 17Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance | 17After I came back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple complex, I went into a visionary state |
| 18and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’ | 18and saw Him telling me, Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me!'" |
| 19‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You. | 19But I said, 'Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in You imprisoned and beaten. |
| 20And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ | 20And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing by and approving, and I guarded the clothes of those who killed him.'" |
| 21Then He said to me, ‘Go! 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.'" |
| 22The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!” | 22They listened to him up to this word. Then they raised their voices, shouting, "Wipe this person off the earth--it's a disgrace for him to live!" |
| 23As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, | 23As they were yelling and flinging aside their robes and throwing dust into the air, |
| 24the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him. | 24the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be examined with the scourge, so he could discover the reason they were shouting against him like this. |
| 25But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?” | 25As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, "Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?" |
| 26On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “What are you going to do?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.” | 26When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, "What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen." |
| 27The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered. | 27The commander came and said to him, "Tell me--are you a Roman citizen?"" Yes," he said. |
| 28“I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. | 28The commander replied, "I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money."" But I was born a citizen," Paul said. |
| 29Then those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains. | 29Therefore, those who were about to examine him withdrew from him at once. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him. |
| 30The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them. | 30The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and placed him before them. |
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