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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 esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.”
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;
Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today.
who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women;
And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.
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.
The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, 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 the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me.
And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
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.
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.
The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice 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.
“I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’
“And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’
“And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are 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.
“I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions.
And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt [there],
A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus.
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.
He came and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And that very moment I could see 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;
“Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak.
for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
For you are to be his witness, telling everyone 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.
What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’
And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy,
“After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and 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 *I* said, Lord, they themselves know that *I* was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee;
“‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue 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 I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.’
And he said to me, Go, for *I* will send thee to the nations afar off.
“But the Lord 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.
The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!”
And as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air,
They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of 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.
Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship
The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious.
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 officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you doing? 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 commander went over and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”
“Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied.
“Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied.
And the chiliarch answered, *I*, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But *I* was also [free] born.
“I am, too,” the commander muttered, “and it cost me plenty!”
Paul answered, “But I am a citizen by birth!”
Paul answered, “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.
The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped.
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.