International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I am now making before you."

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

2When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet, and he continued:

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 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.

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 executing people, and kept tying up both men and women and putting them in 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 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 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.

6"But while I was on my way and approaching Damascus about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly 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 saying to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?'

7and I 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.'

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

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.

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.'

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.'

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.

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.

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,

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 to me. He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' 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.

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,

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.

15because you will be his witness to all people 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.

16So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.'

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

17"Then I returned to Jerusalem. While I was praying in 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 up and get out of Jerusalem at once, because the people won't 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"I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I kept imprisoning and beating those who believe 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.

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.'

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.'

21"Then he told me, 'Go, because I'll send you far away to the gentiles.'"

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

23While they were yelling, tossing their coats around, and throwing dirt into the air,

23And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing 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, 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 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?"

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?"

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

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?" And he said, "Yes."

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 answered, "I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money." And Paul said, "But I was actually born a citizen."

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 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, 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.

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.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org