40WHEN WAS PERMITTING THEN HE <THE> PAUL HAVING STOOD ON THE STAIRS MADE A SIGN WITH THE HAND TO THE PEOPLE, GREAT THEN SILENCE HAVING TAKEN PLACE HE ADDRESSED [THEM] IN THE HEBREW LANGUAGE SAYING: 40Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew:*NoteCloseOr in Aramaic; literally in the Hebrew language
1MEN BROTHERS AND FATHERS, DO HEAR OF ME THE TO YOU NOW DEFENSE. Paul’s Defense to the Crowd (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23) 1Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you. ”
2HAVING HEARD THEN THAT IN THE HEBREW LANGUAGE HE WAS ADDRESSING THEM, EVEN MORE THEY BECAME QUIET. AND HE SAYS; 2When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew,*NoteCloseOr in Aramaic; literally in the Hebrew language they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,
3I MYSELF INDEED AM A MAN JEWISH BORN IN TARSUS <THE> OF CILICIA, BROUGHT UP HOWEVER IN <THE> CITY THIS AT THE FEET OF GAMALIEL INSTRUCTED ACCORDING TO [THE] EXACTNESS OF THE OF OUR FATHERS LAW, A ZEALOUS ONE BEING <THE> FOR GOD EVEN AS ALL YOU YOURSELVES ARE THIS DAY, 3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
4WHO THIS <THE> WAY PERSECUTED AS FAR AS DEATH BINDING AND BETRAYING TO PRISONS MEN BOTH AND WOMEN, 4I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
5AS ALSO THE HIGH PRIEST BEARS WITNESS TO ME AND ALL THE ELDERHOOD, FROM WHOM ALSO LETTERS HAVING RECEIVED TO THE BROTHERS TO DAMASCUS I WAS ON MY WAY GOING TO BRING ALSO THOSE THERE BEING BOUND TO JERUSALEM IN ORDER THAT THEY MAY BE PUNISHED. 5as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.
6IT HAPPENED HOWEVER TO ME JOURNEYING AND DRAWING NEAR <THE> TO DAMASCUS ABOUT NOON SUDDENLY OUT OF <THE> HEAVEN SHINING A LIGHT GREAT AROUND ME MYSELF; 6About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7I FELL THEN TO THE GROUND AND HEARD A VOICE SAYING TO ME; SAUL SAUL, WHY ME PERSECUTE YOU? 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? ’
8I MYSELF THEN ANSWERED; WHO ARE YOU LORD? HE SAID THEN TO ME; I MYSELF AM JESUS <THE> OF NAZARETH WHOM YOU YOURSELF ARE PERSECUTING. 8‘Who are You, Lord? ’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting, ’ He replied.
9THOSE THEN WITH ME MYSELF BEING THE INDEED LIGHT BEHELD AND TERRIFIED THEY WERE THE HOWEVER VOICE NOT DID THEY HEAR THE [ONE] SPEAKING TO ME. 9My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
10I SAID THEN; WHAT SHALL I DO LORD? <THE> AND THE LORD SAID TO ME; HAVING RISEN UP DO GO TO DAMASCUS, AND THERE YOU IT WILL BE TOLD CONCERNING ALL THINGS THAT IT HAS BEEN APPOINTED YOU TO DO. 10Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord? ’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus, ’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do. ’
11WHILE NOW NOT I WAS SEEING BECAUSE OF THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE LIGHT THAT, BEING LED BY THE HAND BY THOSE BEING WITH ME I CAME TO DAMASCUS. 11Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.
12ANANIAS THEN CERTAIN, A MAN DEVOUT ACCORDING TO THE LAW, BORNE WITNESS TO BY ALL THE DWELLING [THERE] JEWS, 12There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,
13HAVING COME TO ME AND HAVING STOOD BY [ME] HE SAID TO ME; SAUL BROTHER, DO RECEIVE SIGHT. AND I MYSELF ON THE SAME <THE> HOUR LOOKED UP AT HIM. 13came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul, ’ he said ‘receive your sight. ’ And at that moment I could see him.
14<THE> AND HE SAID; THE GOD OF THE FATHERS OF US HAS APPOINTED YOU TO KNOW THE WILL OF HIM AND TO SEE THE RIGHTEOUS ONE AND TO HEAR [THE] VOICE OUT OF THE MOUTH OF HIM; 14Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice.
15FOR YOU WILL BE A WITNESS FOR HIM TO ALL MEN OF WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN AND HEARD. 15You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
16AND NOW WHY DELAY YOU? HAVING ARISEN DO YOURSELF BE BAPTIZED AND DO YOURSELF WASH AWAY THE SINS OF YOU CALLING ON THE NAME OF HIM. 16And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name. ’
17IT HAPPENED THEN TO ME HAVING RETURNED TO JERUSALEM AND PRAYING BY ME IN THE TEMPLE FALLING I INTO A TRANCE 17Later when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18AND SEEING HIM SAYING TO ME; DO MAKE HASTE AND DO GO AWAY WITH SPEED OUT OF JERUSALEM, BECAUSE NOT THEY WILL RECEIVE YOUR <THE> TESTIMONY ABOUT ME. 18and saw the Lord*NoteCloseLiterally saw Him saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me. ’
19AND I MYSELF SAID; LORD, THEY THEMSELVES KNOW THAT I MYSELF WAS IMPRISONING AND BEATING IN EACH OF THOSE SYNAGOGUES THOSE BELIEVING ON YOU; 19‘Lord, ’ I answered, they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.
20AND WHEN WAS POURED OUT THE BLOOD OF STEPHEN THE WITNESS OF YOU, ALSO I MYSELF WAS ALREADY STANDING BY AND CONSENTING TO THE KILLING OF HIM AND WATCHING OVER THE GARMENTS OF THOSE EXECUTING HIM. 20And when the blood of Your witness*NoteCloseOr martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him. ’
21AND HE SAID TO ME; DO GO, FOR I MYSELF TO [THE] GENTILES FAR AWAY WILL SEND YOU. 21Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles. ’”
22THEY WERE LISTENING NOW TO HIM UNTIL THIS <THE> WORD AND THEY LIFTED UP THE VOICE OF THEM SAYING; AWAY FROM THE EARTH <THE> [WITH] SUCH; NOT FOR IT WAS PROPER [FOR] HIM TO LIVE! Paul the Roman Citizen 22The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live! ”
23WHILE SHOUTING OUT THEN THEY AND CASTING OFF THE GARMENTS AND DUST THROWING INTO THE AIR 23As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
24ORDERED THE COMMANDER TO BE BROUGHT IN HIM INTO THE BARRACKS HAVING DIRECTED BY FLOGGING TO BE EXAMINED HIM, SO THAT HE MAY KNOW FOR WHAT CAUSE LIKE THIS THEY WERE CRYING OUT AGAINST HIM. 24the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.
25AS HOWEVER THEY STRETCHED FORWARD HIM WITH THE STRAPS, SAID TO THE ALREADY STANDING BY CENTURION <THE> PAUL; IF A MAN A ROMAN AND UNCONDEMNED IT IS LAWFUL TO YOU TO FLOG? 25But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial? ”
26HAVING HEARD THEN THE CENTURION HAVING GONE TO THE COMMANDER HE REPORTED [IT] SAYING; DO YOU SEE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? <THE> FOR MAN THIS A ROMAN IS. 26On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “What are you going to do? ” he said. This man is a Roman citizen. ”
27HAVING COME NEAR THEN THE COMMANDER SAID TO HIM; DO TELL ME, IF YOU YOURSELF A ROMAN ARE? <THE> AND HE WAS SAYING; YES. 27The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? ” “Yes, ” he answered.
28ANSWERED THEN THE COMMANDER; I MYSELF WITH A GREAT SUM <THE> CITIZENSHIP THIS BOUGHT. <THE> BUT PAUL WAS SAYING; I MYSELF HOWEVER EVEN HAS BEEN BORN [SO]. 28“I paid a high price for my citizenship, ” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen, ” Paul replied.
29IMMEDIATELY THEREFORE DEPARTED FROM HIM THOSE BEING ABOUT HIM TO EXAMINE. AND THE COMMANDER ALSO WAS AFRAID HAVING ASCERTAINED THAT A ROMAN HE IS AND BECAUSE HIM HE HAD HAVING BOUND. 29At once those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.
30ON THE NOW NEXT DAY DESIRING TO KNOW <THE> FOR CERTAIN <THE> WHY HE IS ACCUSED BY THE JEWS, HE UNBOUND HIM FROM THE CHAINS AND COMMANDED TO ASSEMBLE THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND ALL THE COUNCIL OF THEM, AND HAVING BROUGHT DOWN <THE> PAUL HE SET [HIM] AMONG THEM. 30The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin*NoteCloseOr the whole Council to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.