| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I am now making before you." | 1Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you." |
| 2When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet, and he continued: | 2When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter. |
| 3"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia but raised in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the strict ways of our ancestral Law. I am as zealous for God as all of you are 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 executing people, and kept tying up both men and women and putting them in 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 of elders can testify about me. I also received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, and I was going there to tie up those who were there and bring them back 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." |
| 6"But while I was on my way and approaching Damascus about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly 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 saying to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?' | 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'" |
| 8"I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' "He told me, 'I'm Jesus from Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' | 8I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?'" He said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, the One you are persecuting!' |
| 9The men who were with me saw the light but didn't understand the voice of the one who was 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." |
| 10"Then I asked, 'What am I to do, Lord?' "The Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are destined 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.'" |
| 11Since I could not see because of the brightness of the light, the men who were with me took me by the hand and led me 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. |
| 12"A certain Ananias, who was a devout man with respect to the Law and 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 to me. He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' 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. |
| 14"Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear his own 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. |
| 15because you will be his witness to all people 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. |
| 16So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.' | 16And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name.'" |
| 17"Then I returned to Jerusalem. While I was praying in 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 up and get out of Jerusalem at once, because the people won't 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"I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I kept imprisoning and beating those who believe in you. | 19But I said, 'Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in You imprisoned and beaten. |
| 20Even when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing there, approving it and guarding the coats of those who were killing 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.'" |
| 21"Then he told me, 'Go, because I'll send you far away to the gentiles.'" | 21Then He said to me, Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" |
| 22Up to this point they listened to him, but then they began to shout, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He's not fit to go on living!" | 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!" |
| 23While they were yelling, tossing their coats around, and throwing dirt into the air, | 23As they were yelling and flinging aside their robes and throwing dust into the air, |
| 24the tribune ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks and told the soldiers to beat and question him in order to find out why the people were yelling at him like this. | 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 when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul asked the centurion who was standing there, "Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't been condemned?" | 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?" |
| 26When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and told him, "What are you doing? 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." |
| 27So the tribune went and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said. | 27The commander came and said to him, "Tell me--are you a Roman citizen?"" Yes," he said. |
| 28Then the tribune replied, "I paid a lot of money for this citizenship of mine." Paul said, "But I was born a citizen." | 28The commander replied, "I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money."" But I was born a citizen," Paul said. |
| 29Immediately those who were about to examine him stepped back, and the tribune was afraid when he found out that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had tied him up. | 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, since the tribune wanted to find out exactly what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, he released him and ordered the high priests and the entire Council to meet. 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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