Paul’s Defense to the Crowd (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)
1 UEB "Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense which I will now make to you." BSB BSB: “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
2 UEB When the crowd heard Paul speak to them in the Hebrew language, they became quiet. He said, BSB BSB: When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,
3 UEB "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel. I was instructed according to the strict ways of the law of our fathers. I am zealous for God, just as all of you are today. 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 UEB I persecuted this Way to the death, binding up and delivering them to prison 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 UEB as the high priest and all the elders can bear witness. I received letters from them for the brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring them back in bonds to Jerusalem in order for them 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 UEB It happened that when I was traveling and nearing Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light from heaven began to shine around me. BSB BSB: About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 UEB I fell to the ground and heard a voice say 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 UEB I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' BSB BSB: ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
9 UEB Those who were with me saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who spoke to me. BSB BSB: My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
10 UEB I said, 'What should I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus; there you will be told everything 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 UEB I could not see because of that light's brightness, and being led by the hands of those who 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 UEB There I met a man named Ananias, a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived 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 UEB He came to me, stood by me, and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' In that very hour I 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 UEB Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the voice coming from his own 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 UEB For you shall be a witness for him to all men about what you have seen and heard. BSB BSB: You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
16 UEB Now why are you waiting? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, 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 UEB After I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, it happened that I was given a vision. BSB BSB: Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18 UEB I saw him say to me, 'Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because 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 UEB I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you in every synagogue. 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 UEB When the blood of Stephen your witness was spilled, I also was standing by and agreeing, and I was guarding the cloaks of those 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 UEB But he said to me, 'Go, because I will 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 UEB They listened to him until he said this. Then they shouted and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not right 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 UEB As they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and throwing dust into the air, BSB BSB: As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
24 UEB the chief captain commanded Paul to be brought into the fortress. He ordered that he should be questioned with scourging, so that he himself might know why they were shouting against him like that. 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 UEB When they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and who has not been put on trial?" 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 UEB When the centurion heard this, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, "What are you about 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 UEB The chief captain came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" Paul said, "Yes." BSB BSB: The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.
28 UEB The chief captain answered, "It was only with a large amount of money that I acquired citizenship." But Paul said, "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 UEB Then the men who were going to question him left him immediately. The chief captain also was afraid, when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, because he had tied him up. 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 UEB On the next day, the chief captain wanted to know the truth about the Jews' accusations against Paul. So he untied his bonds and ordered the chief priests and all the council to meet. Then he brought Paul down and placed him in their midst. 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.