|
- "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense."
- When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said:
- "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
- I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,
- as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
|
- 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.
|
- "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
- I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'
- " 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. " 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied.
- My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
- "'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. "'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.'
|
- 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.
|
- My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
- "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.
- He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him.
- "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.
- You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
|
- 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 what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'
- "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
- and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'
- " 'Lord,' I replied, 'these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you.
- And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'
|
- 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.
|
- "Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' "
|
- And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
|
|
|