New King James Version

King James Bible

1“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.”

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

2And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then 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 indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.

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 into prisons both men and women,

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

5as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there 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“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven 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?

8So 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.

9“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke 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.

10So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are 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 for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I 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“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt 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 he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.

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

14Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of 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 His witness to all men 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 are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

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

17“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in 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, for they will not receive your testimony concerning 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.

19So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on 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 Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing 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.

21Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”

21And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

22And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit 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.

23Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,

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

24the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.

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.

25And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, 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 that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”

26When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

27Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

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

28The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”

28And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.

29Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because 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.

30The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and 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.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.