Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence that I now make unto you
(and when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were the more quiet, and he saith),
I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to strictness of the law of the fathers, being zealous for God even as all ye are this day.
And I persecuted this Way unto death, binding and delivering unto prisons both men and women,
as also the high priest beareth me witness, and all the elderhood, from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and proceeded unto Damascus to bring those that were there, bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished.
And it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that about mid-day there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me;
and I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou persecutest.
Now they that were with me beheld the light, but did not hear the voice of him that was speaking to me.
And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Rise up, and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it hath been appointed for thee to do.
And as I could not see for the glory of the light, being led by the hand of those that were with me, I came into Damascus;
and one Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews that dwelt there,
came unto me and standing by, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight; and in the very hour I looked upon him.
And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
For thou shalt be for him to all men a witness of what thou hast seen and heard.
And now, why tarriest thou? Arise, and get baptized, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name.
And it came to pass that when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
and saw him saying unto me, Make haste and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.
And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those that believe on thee,
and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by and consenting, and keeping the garments of those that slew him.
And he said unto me, Depart, for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles.
And they gave him audience unto this word, and they lifted up their voices and said, Away with such [a fellow] from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.
And as they cried out and threw off their garments and cast dust into the air,
the commander ordered him to be brought into the castle, directing that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they had shouted thus against him.
And when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned?
And when the centurion heard it, he went to the commander and told him, saying, What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman.
And the commander came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes.
And the commander answered, With a great sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But I am also [so] born.
They then that were about to examine immediately departed from him, and the commander also was afraid, when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
But on the morrow desiring to know the certainty why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priest and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down, and set [him] before them.