Men, brethren
, and
fathers
, hear ye
my
defence
which I make now
unto
you
.
(And when they heard
that
he spake
in the Hebrew
tongue
to them
, they kept
the more
silence
: and
he saith
,)
I 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
.
And I persecuted
this
way
unto
the death
, binding
and
delivering
into
prisons
both
men
and
women
.
As 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
.
And 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
.
And I fell
unto
the ground
, and
heard
a voice
saying
unto me
, Saul
, Saul
, why
persecutest thou
me
?
And I
answered
, Who
art thou
, Lord
? And
he said
unto
me
, I
am
Jesus
of Nazareth
, whom
thou
persecutest
.
And they that were
with
me
saw
indeed
the light
, and
were
afraid
; but
they heard
not
the voice
of him that spake
to me
.
And 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
.
And 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
.
And one
Ananias
, a devout
man
according
to the law
, having a good report
of
all
the Jews
which dwelt
there ,
Came unto
me
, and
stood
, and said
unto me
, Brother
Saul
, receive thy sight
. And
the same
hour
I
looked up
upon
him
.
And 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
.
For thou shalt be
his
witness
unto
all
men
of what
thou hast seen
and
heard
.
And now
why
tarriest thou
? arise
, and be baptized
, and
wash away
thy
sins
, calling on
the name
of the Lord
.
And it came to pass
, that, when I
was come again
to
Jerusalem
, even
while I
prayed
in
the temple
, I
was
in
a trance
;
And saw
him
saying
unto me
, Make haste
, and
get thee
quickly
out of
Jerusalem
: for
they will
not
receive
thy
testimony
concerning
me
.
And I said
, Lord
, they
know
that
I
imprisoned
and
beat
in every
synagogue
them that believed
on
thee
:
And 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
.
And he said
unto
me
, Depart
: for
I
will send
thee
far hence
unto
the Gentiles
.
And 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
.
And as they
cried out
, and
cast off
their clothes
, and
threw
dust
into
the air
,
The 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
.
And 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
?
When the centurion
heard
that , he went
and told
the chief captain
, saying
, Take heed
what
thou doest
: for
this
man
is
a Roman
.
Then the chief captain
came
, and said
unto him
, Tell
me
,
art
thou
a Roman
?
He said
, Yea
.
And the chief captain
answered
, With a great
sum
obtained
I
this
freedom
. And
Paul
said
, But
I
was free born
.
Then 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
.
On 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
.