1“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense I now make to you.”

2When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. Then he said,

3“I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel and instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today.

4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding both men and women and putting them in prison,

5as the high priest can testify about me, along with the whole council of elders. From them I received letters to the brothers in Damascus and then made my way there to make arrests and bring the prisoners back to Jerusalem to be punished.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

6“About noon, as I was going along and drawing near to Damascus, a great light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.

7Then I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are yoʋ persecuting me?’

8I answered, ‘Who are yoʋ, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom yoʋ are persecuting.’

9Those who were with me saw the ²⁸⁰light and were afraid, but they did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

10Then I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Rise and go to Damascus, and there yoʋ will be told about all that has been appointed for yoʋ to do.’

11But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus.

12“Now a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who was well spoken of by all the Jews dwelling ²⁸¹there,

13came and stood beside me. He said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive yoʋr sight,’ and in that very hour I received my sight and saw him.

14Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed yoʋ to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the voice coming from his mouth.

15For yoʋ will be his witness to all people of what yoʋ have seen and heard.

16And now why do yoʋ delay? Rise and be baptized, and wash away yoʋr sins, calling upon ²⁸²the name of the Lord.’

Paul's Commission to Preach to the Gentiles

17“When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance

18and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not accept yoʋr testimony about me.’

19So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe in yoʋ.

20And when the blood of yoʋr witness Stephen was being shed, I myself stood there ²⁸³approving of his execution ²⁸⁴as I watched over the cloaks of those who were killing him.’

21Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send yoʋ far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

Paul's Roman Citizenship

22The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement, but then they lifted up their voices and said, “Away with this man from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.”

23As they were crying out, throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,

24the commander ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out the reason why they were shouting at him in this way.

25But ²⁸⁵as one of the soldiers was stretching Paul out with the straps, Paul said to the centurion standing nearby, “Is it lawful for you to whip a Roman citizen without a proper trial?”

26When the centurion heard this, he went and reported it to the commander, saying, “ ²⁸⁶Consider what yoʋ are about to do, for this man is a Roman citizen.”

27So the commander went over and said to Paul, “Tell me, are yoʋ a Roman citizen?” He said, “Yes.”

28The commander responded, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.”

29So those who were about to examine him immediately drew back, and the commander was afraid when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

Paul Brought Before the Sanhedrin

30So the next day, wishing to know for certain why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander released him ²⁸⁷from his bonds and commanded the chief priests and ²⁸⁸their entire Sanhedrin to ²⁸⁹come. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.