Paul’s Defense to the Crowd (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)
1 UDB Paul said, "Jewish elders and my fellow Jews, listen to me now while I speak to those who are accusing me!" BSB BSB: “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
2 UDB When the crowd of people heard Paul speaking to them in their own Hebrew language, they became quiet and listened. Then Paul said to them, BSB BSB: When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,
3 UDB "I am a Jew, as are all of you. I was born in the city of Tarsus, in the province of Cilicia, but I grew up here in Jerusalem. When I was young, I learned the laws that Moses gave to our ancestors. Gamaliel was my teacher. I obeyed those laws because I have wanted to obey God, and I am sure that all of you also obey those laws. 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 UDB That is why I tried to arrest those who believed the message of God about Jesus. I looked for ways to kill them. Whenever I found men or women who believed the message, I had them thrown into jail. BSB BSB: I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
5 UDB The high priest knows this, and so do the other men who belong to our Jewish council. They gave me letters to take to their fellow Jews in the city of Damascus. Those letters gave me power to go there and arrest people who believed in Jesus. I was then to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem, so that they would be punished here. 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 UDB "So I went to Damascus. About noon, as I got near to Damascus, suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed all around me. BSB BSB: About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 UDB The light was so bright that I fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking to me from up in the sky, saying, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you do things to hurt me?' BSB BSB: I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
8 UDB "I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' "He replied, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one whom you are hurting.' BSB BSB: ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
9 UDB "The men who were traveling with me saw the bright light, but they did not understand what the voice said. BSB BSB: My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
10 UDB Then I asked, 'Lord, what do you want me to do?' "The Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus. A man there will tell you all that I have planned 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 UDB After that, I could not see, because the bright light had caused me to become blind. So the men who were with me took me by the hand and led me to Damascus. BSB BSB: Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.
12 UDB A man whose name was Ananias came to see me. He was a man who honored God and obeyed the Jewish laws. All the Jews living in Damascus said good things about him. BSB BSB: There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,
13 UDB He came and stood beside me and said to me, 'My friend Saul, see again!' Instantly I could see, and I saw him standing beside me. BSB BSB: came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.
14 UDB Then he said: 'The God our ancestors worshiped has chosen you and will show you what he wants you to do. He has shown you the Righteous One, and you have heard him speak to you himself. 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 UDB He wants you to tell people everywhere what you have seen and heard. BSB BSB: You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
16 UDB So now, do not delay! Stand up, let me baptize you, and pray to the Lord Jesus and ask God to forgive you for your sins!' BSB BSB: And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’
17 UDB "Later, I returned to Jerusalem. One day I went to the temple courtyard and while I was praying there, I saw a vision. BSB BSB: Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18 UDB The Lord spoke to me, saying, 'Do not stay here! Leave Jerusalem now because the people here will not believe what you tell them 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 UDB But I said to him, 'Lord, they know that I went to many of our synagogues looking for people who believe in you. I was putting in jail those whom I found who believed in you, and I was even beating them. 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 UDB They remember that when Stephen was killed because he told people about you, I stood there watching and approving of what they were doing. I even guarded the outer clothes that those who were murdering him had thrown aside!' 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 UDB But the Lord said to me, 'No, do not stay here! Leave Jerusalem, because I am going to send you far away 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 UDB The people listened to what Paul was saying until he talked about the Lord sending him to other peoples. Then they began shouting, "Kill him! He does not deserve to live any longer!" 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 UDB While they were shouting, they took off their outer garments and threw dust into the air, which showed how angry they were. BSB BSB: As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
24 UDB So the leader commanded that Paul be taken into the prison. He told the soldiers that they should whip Paul in order to make him tell what he had done that made the Jews so angry. 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 UDB Then they stretched his arms out and tied them so that they could whip him on his back. But Paul said to the soldier near him, "You will be acting unlawfully if you whip me, a Roman citizen whom no one has put on trial and 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 UDB When the officer heard that, he went to the commander and reported it to him. He said to the commander, "This man is a Roman citizen! Surely you would not command us to whip him!" 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 UDB The commander was surprised when he heard that. He himself went into the prison and said to Paul, "Tell me, are you really a Roman citizen?" Paul answered, "Yes, I am." BSB BSB: The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.
28 UDB Then the commander said, "I am also a Roman citizen. I paid a lot of money to become a Roman citizen." Paul said, "But I was born a Roman citizen." BSB BSB: “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 UDB The soldiers were about to whip Paul and to ask him questions about what he had done. But when they heard what Paul said, they left him. The commander also became afraid, because he knew that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had broken the law when he commanded the soldiers to tie up Paul's hands. 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 UDB The commander still wanted to know why the Jews were accusing Paul. So the next day he told the soldiers to take the chains off Paul. He also called the chief priests and the other council members to meet. Then he took Paul to where the council was meeting and told him to stand 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.