Paul’s Defense to the Crowd (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)
1 AKJV Men, brothers, and fathers, hear you my defense which I make now to you. BSB BSB: “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
2 AKJV (And when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he says,) BSB BSB: When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,
3 AKJV I am truly 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 you all are this day. BSB BSB: “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.
4 AKJV And I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. BSB BSB: I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
5 AKJV As also the high priest does bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound to Jerusalem, for to be punished. BSB BSB: as 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.
6 AKJV And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come near to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. BSB BSB: About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 AKJV And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecute you me? BSB BSB: I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
8 AKJV And I answered, Who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute. BSB BSB: ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
9 AKJV And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spoke to me. BSB BSB: My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
10 AKJV And I said, What shall I do, LORD? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told you of all things which are appointed for you to do. BSB BSB: Then 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.’
11 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.
12 AKJV And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelled there, BSB BSB: There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,
13 AKJV Came to me, and stood, and said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And the same hour I looked up on him. BSB BSB: came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.
14 AKJV And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you, that you should know his will, and see that Just One, and should hear the voice of his mouth. BSB BSB: Then 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.
15 AKJV For you shall be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. BSB BSB: You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
16 AKJV And now why tarry you? arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. BSB BSB: And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’
17 AKJV 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; BSB BSB: Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18 AKJV And saw him saying to me, Make haste, and get you quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive your testimony concerning me. BSB BSB: and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’
19 AKJV And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on you: BSB BSB: ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.
20 AKJV And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. BSB BSB: And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’
21 AKJV And he said to me, Depart: for I will send you far hence to the Gentiles. BSB BSB: Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
Paul the Roman Citizen 22 AKJV And they gave him audience to 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. BSB BSB: The 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!”
23 AKJV And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, BSB BSB: As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
24 AKJV The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know why they cried so against him. BSB BSB: the 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.
25 AKJV And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to whip a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? BSB BSB: But 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?”
26 AKJV When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what you do: for this man is a Roman. BSB BSB: On 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.”
27 AKJV Then the chief captain came, and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, Yes. BSB BSB: The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.
28 AKJV And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. BSB BSB: “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: At 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.
30 AKJV On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty why 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. BSB BSB: The 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 to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.