Paul Speaks to the People

³⁷ As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? ³⁸ Are you not ^(A)the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out ^(B)into the wilderness?” ³⁹ Paul replied, ^(C)“I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” ⁴⁰ And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, ^(D)motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in ^(E)the Hebrew language,^[a] saying:

22 ^(F)“Brothers and fathers, hear the defence that I now make before you.”

² And when they heard that he was addressing them in ^(G)the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:

^3 (H)“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated ^(I)at the feet of ^(J)Gamaliel^{[b] (K)}according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, ^(L)being zealous for God ^(M)as all of you are this day. ^4 (N)I persecuted ^(O)this Way ^(P)to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, ⁵ as ^(Q)the high priest and ^(R)the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to ^(S)the brothers, and I journeyed towards Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

^6 (T)“As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. ⁷ And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ⁸ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am ^(U)Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ ^9 (V)Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand^[c] the voice of the one who was speaking to me. ¹⁰ And I said, ^(W)‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ ¹¹ And 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 came into Damascus.

¹² “And ^(X)one Ananias, a devout man ^(Y)according to the law, ^(Z)well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, ^13 (AA)came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And ^(AB)at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. ¹⁴ And he said, ^(AC)‘The God of our fathers ^(AD)appointed you to know his will, ^(AE)to see ^(AF)the Righteous One and ^(AG)to hear a voice from his mouth; ¹⁵ for ^(AH)you will be a witness for him to everyone of what ^(AI)you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why do you wait? ^(AJ)Rise and be baptized and ^(AK)wash away your sins, ^(AL)calling on his name.’

^17 (AM)“When I had returned to Jerusalem and ^(AN)was praying in the temple, I fell into ^(AO)a trance ¹⁸ and saw him saying to me, ^(AP)‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ¹⁹ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another ^(AQ)I imprisoned and ^(AR)beat those who believed in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of Stephen ^(AS)your witness was being shed, ^(AT)I myself was standing by and ^(AU)approving and ^(AV)watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ ²¹ And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you ^(AW)far away to the Gentiles.’”

Paul and the Roman Tribune

²² Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, ^(AX)“Away with such a fellow from the earth! For ^(AY)he should not be allowed to live.” ²³ And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, ²⁴ the tribune ordered him to be brought into ^(AZ)the barracks, saying that he should be ^(BA)examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. ²⁵ But when they had stretched him out for the whips,^[d] Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog ^(BB)a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” ²⁶ When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” ²⁷ So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” ²⁸ The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” ²⁹ So those who were about ^(BC)to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also ^(BD)was afraid, ^(BE)for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that ^(BF)he had bound him.

Paul Before the Council

³⁰ But on the next day, ^(BG)desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

23 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, ^(BH)I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” ² And the high priest ^(BI)Ananias commanded those who stood by him ^(BJ)to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you ^(BK)whitewashed ^(BL)wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet ^(BM)contrary to the law you ^(BN)order me to be struck?” ⁴ Those who stood by said, “Would you revile ^(BO)God's high priest?” ⁵ And Paul said, ^(BP)“I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ^(BQ)‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

⁶ Now when Paul perceived that one part were ^(BR)Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, ^(BS)I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is ^(BT)with respect to the ^(BU)hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” ⁷ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees ^(BV)say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ⁹ Then a great clamour arose, and some of ^(BW)the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, ^(BX)“We find nothing wrong in this man. What ^(BY)if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” ¹⁰ And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into ^(BZ)the barracks.

^11 (CA)The following night ^(CB)the Lord stood by him and said, ^(CC)“Take courage, for ^(CD)as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must ^(CE)testify also in Rome.”