Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

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

2When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. Then Paul declared,

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

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.

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.

4I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,

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

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 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.

6About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.

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,

7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

7and I 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.

8"And I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.'

9My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

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.

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.’

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.'

11Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.

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.

12There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,

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,

13came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

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

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.

15You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

15'For you will be a witness for Him to all men 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.’

16'Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'

17Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance

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

18and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’

18and I saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste, 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.

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.

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.’

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.'

21Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

21"And He said to me, 'Go! For 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 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!"

23As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

23And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing 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, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way.

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?”

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?"

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 to the commander and told him, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman."

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?" And he said, "Yes."

28“I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” 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."

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 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.

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.

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.

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