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Paul's Defense to the Crowd
Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you.
Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you.
“Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”
And hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says,
*I* am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to [the] exactness of the law of [our] fathers, being zealous for God, as *ye* are all this day;
who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women;
I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,
as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood: from whom also, having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus to bring those also who were there, bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished.
as 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.
And it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid-day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me.
“As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.
And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
And *I* answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, *I* am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom *thou* persecutest.
And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’
But they that were with me beheld the light, [and were filled with fear], but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me.
And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee to do.
And 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.’
And as I could not see, through the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus.
And 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.
And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt [there],
“And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
coming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And *I*, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him.
came 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.
And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth;
And 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;
for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name.
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy,
“When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance
and saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
And *I* said, Lord, they themselves know that *I* was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee;
And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.
and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting, and kept the clothes of them who killed him.
And 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.’
And he said to me, Go, for *I* will send thee to the nations afar off.
And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
Paul the Roman Citizen
And they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live.
And they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live.
Paul and the Roman Tribune
Up 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.”
Up 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.”
And as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air,
And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,
the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain for what cause they cried thus against him.
the 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.
But as they stretched him forward with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood [by], Is it lawful for you to scourge a man [who is] a Roman and uncondemned?
And the centurion, having heard it, went and reported it to the chiliarch, saying, What art thou going to do? for this man is a Roman.
When 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.”
And the chiliarch coming up said to him, Tell me, Art *thou* a Roman? And he said, Yes.
So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.”
And the chiliarch answered, *I*, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But *I* was also [free] born.
The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.”
Immediately therefore those who were going to examine him left him, and the chiliarch also was afraid when he ascertained that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
So 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.
And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty [of the matter] why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them.
Paul Before the Council
But 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.
But 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.