Paul’s Defense to the Crowd (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)
1 CPDV “Noble brothers and fathers, listen to the explanation that I now give to you.” BSB BSB: “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
2 CPDV And when they heard him speaking to them in the Hebrew language, they offered a greater silence. BSB BSB: When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,
3 CPDV And he said: “I am a Jewish man, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but raised in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, just as all of you also are to 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 CPDV I persecuted this Way, even unto death, binding and delivering into custody 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 CPDV just as the high priest and all those greater by birth bear witness to me. Having received letters from them to the brothers, I journeyed to Damascus, so that I might lead them bound from there to Jerusalem, so that they might 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 CPDV But it happened that, as I was traveling and was approaching Damascus at midday, suddenly from heaven a great light shone around me. BSB BSB: About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 CPDV And falling to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ BSB BSB: I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
8 CPDV And I responded, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ BSB BSB: ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
9 CPDV And those who were with me, indeed, saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of him who was speaking with me. BSB BSB: My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
10 CPDV And I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ Then the Lord said to me: ‘Rise up, and go to Damascus. And there, you shall be told all that you must 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 CPDV And since I could not see, because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by my companions, and I went to Damascus. BSB BSB: Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.
12 CPDV Then a certain Ananias, a man in accord with the law, having the testimony of all the Jews who were living 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 CPDV drawing near to me and standing close by, said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see!’ And in that same hour, I looked upon him. BSB BSB: came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.
14 CPDV But he said: ‘The God of our fathers has preordained you, so that you would come to know his will and would see the Just One, and would hear the voice from 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 CPDV For you shall be his witness to all men about those things which you have seen and heard. BSB BSB: You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
16 CPDV And now, why do you delay? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, by invoking his name.’ BSB BSB: And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’
17 CPDV Then it happened that, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, a mental stupor came over me, BSB BSB: Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18 CPDV and I saw him saying to me: ‘Hurry! Depart quickly from Jerusalem! For they will not accept your testimony about 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 CPDV And I said: ‘Lord, they know that I am beating and enclosing in prison, throughout every synagogue, those who have believed in 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 CPDV And when the blood of your witness Stephen was poured out, I stood nearby and was consenting, and I watched over the garments of those who put him to death.’ 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 CPDV And he said to me, ‘Go forth. For I am sending you to far away nations.’ ” BSB BSB: Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
Paul the Roman Citizen 22 CPDV Now they were listening to him, until this word, and then they lifted up their voice, saying: “Take this kind away from the earth! For it is not fitting for him to 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 CPDV And while they were shouting, and tossing aside their garments, and casting dust into the air, BSB BSB: As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
24 CPDV the tribune ordered him to be brought into the fortress, and to be scourged and tortured, in order to discover the reason that they were crying out in this way 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 CPDV And when they had tied him with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing near him, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and has not been condemned?” 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 CPDV Upon hearing this, the centurion went to the tribune and reported it to him, saying: “What do you intend to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 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 CPDV And the tribune, approaching, said to him: “Tell me. Are you a Roman?” So he said, “Yes.” BSB BSB: The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.
28 CPDV And the tribune responded, “I obtained this citizenship at great cost.” And Paul said, “But I was born to it.” BSB BSB: “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 CPDV Therefore, those who were going to torture him, immediately withdrew from him. The tribune was similarly afraid, after he realized that he was a Roman citizen, for 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 CPDV But on the next day, wanting to discover more diligently what the reason was that he was accused by the Jews, he released him, and he ordered the priests to convene, with the entire council. And, producing Paul, he stationed him among 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.