English Standard Version

King James Bible

1“Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”

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

2And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:

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

3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.

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.

4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,

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

5as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem 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 my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone 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.

7And I 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?

8And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

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

9Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was 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.

10And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you 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.

11And 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.

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.

12“And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

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

13came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him.

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

14And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth;

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 will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

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

16And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

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

17“When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I 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;

18and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not 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.

19And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another 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 when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed 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.

21And he 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.

22Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed 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.

23And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,

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

24the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this.

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.

25But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?”

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 centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For 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 tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.”

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

28The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “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.

29So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

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.

30But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him 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.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.