Paul’s Defense to the Crowd (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)
1 TNT Ye men brethren and fathers heare myne answere which I make vnto you. BSB BSB: “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
2 TNT When they hearde that he spake in the Ebrue tonge to them they kept the moore silence. And he sayde: BSB BSB: When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,
3 TNT I am verely aman which am a Iewe borne in Tharsus a cite in Cicill: neverthelesse yet brought vp in this cite at the fete of Gamaliel and informed diligently in the lawe of the fathers and was fervent mynded to Godwarde as ye all are this same daye 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 TNT and I persecuted this waye vnto the deeth byndynge and delyveringe into preson bothe men and wemen BSB BSB: I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
5 TNT as the chefe prest doth beare me witnes and all the elders: of whom also I receaved letters vnto the brethren and wet to Damasco to bringe them which were there bounde vnto Ierusalem for to be punysshed. 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 TNT And it fortuned as I made my iorney and was come nye vnto Damasco aboute none that sodenly ther shone from heaven a greate lyght rounde aboute me BSB BSB: About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 TNT and I fell vnto the erth and hearde a voyce sayinge vnto 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 TNT And I answered: what arte thou Lorde? And he sayd vnto me: I am Iesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest. BSB BSB: ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
9 TNT And they that were with me sawe verely a lyght and were a frayde: but they hearde not the voyce of him that spake with me. BSB BSB: My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
10 TNT And I sayde: what shall I do Lorde? And the Lorde sayde vnto me: Aryse and goo into Damasco and there it shalbe tolde the of all thinges which are apoynted for the 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 TNT And when I sawe nothynge for the brightnes of that light I was ledde by the honde of them that were with me and came into Damasco. BSB BSB: Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.
12 TNT And one Ananias a perfect man and as pertayninge to the lawe havinge good reporte of all the Iewes which there dwelt BSB BSB: There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,
13 TNT came vnto me and stode and sayd vnto me: Brother Saul loke vp. And that same houre I receaved my sight and sawe him. BSB BSB: came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.
14 TNT And he sayde the God of oure fathers hath ordeyned the before that thou shuldest knowe his will and shuldest se that which is rightfull and shuldest heare the voyce 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 TNT for thou shalt be his witnes vnto all men of tho thinges which thou thou hast sene and hearde. BSB BSB: You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
16 TNT And now: why tariest thou? Aryse and be baptised and wesshe awaye thy synnes in callinge on the name of the Lorde. BSB BSB: And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’
17 TNT And it fortuned when I was come agayne to Ierusalem and prayde in the temple that I was in a trauce BSB BSB: Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18 TNT and sawe him sayinge vnto me. Make haste and get the quickly out of Ierusalem: for they will not receave thy witnes that thou bearest of 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 TNT And I sayde: Lorde they knowe that I presoned and bet in every synagoge them that beleved on the. 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 TNT And when the bloud of thy witnes Steven was sheed I also stode by and consented vnto his deeth and kept the rayment of them that slewe 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 TNT And he sayde vnto me: departe for I will sende the a farre hence vnto the Gentyls. BSB BSB: Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
Paul the Roman Citizen 22 TNT They gave him audience vnto this worde and then lifte vp their voyces and sayde: a waye with soche a felowe from the erth: that is pitie that he shuld 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 TNT And as they cryed and cast of their clothes and thrue dust into the ayer BSB BSB: As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
24 TNT the captayne bade him to be brought into the castle and commaunded him to be scourged and to be examined that he myght knowe wherfore they cryed on 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 TNT And as they bounde him with thonges Paul sayde vnto the Centurion that stode by: Ys it laufull for you to scourge a man that is a Romain and vncondempned? 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 TNT When the Centurion hearde that he went and tolde the vpper captayne sayinge: What intendest thou to do? This man is a Romayne. 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 TNT Then the vpper captayne came and sayde to him: tell me art thou a Romayne? He sayde: Yee. BSB BSB: The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.
28 TNT And the captayne answered: with a greate some obtayned I this fredome. And Paul sayde: I was fre borne. BSB BSB: “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 TNT Then strayght waye departed from him they which shuld have examyned him. And the hye captayne also was a frayde after he knewe that he was a Romayne: because he had bounde 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 TNT On the morowe because he wolde have knowen the certayntie wherfore he was accused of the Iewes he lowsed him from his bondes and commaunded the hye Prestes and all the counsell to come together and brought Paul 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.