Paul’s Defense to the Crowd (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)
1 DBY Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you. BSB BSB: “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
2 DBY And hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says, BSB BSB: When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,
3 DBY I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the exactness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye are all 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 DBY who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to 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 DBY as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood: from whom also, having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus to bring those also who were there, bound, to Jerusalem, 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 DBY And it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid-day, there suddenly shone out of 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 DBY And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? BSB BSB: I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
8 DBY And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom thou persecutest. BSB BSB: ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
9 DBY But they that were with me beheld the light, and were filled with fear , but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me. BSB BSB: My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
10 DBY And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee 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 DBY And as I could not see, through the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus. BSB BSB: Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.
12 DBY And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt 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 DBY coming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And I, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him. BSB BSB: came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.
14 DBY And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the just one, and to hear a voice out 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 DBY for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard. BSB BSB: You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
16 DBY And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on 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 DBY And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy, BSB BSB: Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18 DBY and saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy 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 DBY And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee; 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 DBY and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting, and kept the clothes of them who killed 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 DBY And he said to me, Go, for I will send thee to the nations afar off. BSB BSB: Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
Paul the Roman Citizen 22 DBY And they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit 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 DBY And as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air, BSB BSB: As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
24 DBY the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain for what cause they cried thus 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 DBY But as they stretched him forward with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by , Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who 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 DBY And the centurion, having heard it, went and reported it to the chiliarch, saying, What art thou going to 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 DBY And the chiliarch coming up said to him, Tell me, Art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes. BSB BSB: The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.
28 DBY And the chiliarch answered, I, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was also free born. BSB BSB: “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 DBY Immediately therefore those who were going to examine him left him, and the chiliarch also was afraid when he ascertained 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 DBY And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty of the matter why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down 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.