Paul’s Defense to the Crowd (Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)
1 WBS Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense which I make now to you. BSB BSB: “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
2 WBS (And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) BSB BSB: When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,
3 WBS I am verily a man who am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, being zealous towards God, as ye all are 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 WBS And I persecuted this way even to death, binding and delivering into 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 WBS As also the high priest doth bear me testimony, and all the estate of the elders; from whom also I received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them 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 WBS And it came to pass, that as I was passing on my journey, and had come nigh to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light around me. BSB BSB: About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 WBS 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 WBS And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus 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 WBS And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spoke to me. BSB BSB: My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
10 WBS And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which are appointed for 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 WBS And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that 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 WBS And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of 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 WBS Came to me, and stood, and said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up 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 WBS And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldst hear the voice 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 WBS For thou shalt be his witness 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 WBS And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. BSB BSB: And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’
17 WBS And it came to pass, that when I had come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; BSB BSB: Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18 WBS And saw him saying to me, Make haste, and depart quickly from 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 WBS And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and beat in every synagogue them that believed 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 WBS And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew 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 WBS And he said to me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence 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 WBS And they gave him audience to this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a man from the earth: for it is not fit 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 WBS And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, BSB BSB: As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
24 WBS The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know for what cause they cried so 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 WBS And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that 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 WBS When the centurion heard that , he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest; 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 WBS Then the chief captain came, and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yes. BSB BSB: The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.
28 WBS And the chief captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. BSB BSB: “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 WBS Then forthwith they departed from him who were about to examine him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew 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 WBS On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty why he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, 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.