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37 And when Paul began to be led into the castles, he said to the tribune, Whether it is leaveful to me [If it is leaveful to me], to speak any thing to thee? And he said [Which said], Canst thou Greek?

38 Whether thou art not the Egyptian, which before these days movedest a noise, and leddest out into desert four thousand of men, menslayers?

39 And Paul said to him, For I am a Jew, of Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen, which city is not unknown [Soothly I am a man Jew, of Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen, or burgher, of a city not unknown]. And I pray thee, suffer me to speak to the people.

40 And when he suffered, Paul stood in the grees, and beckoned with the hand to the people. And when a great silence was made, he spake in Hebrew tongue, and said [saying],

22 Brethren and fathers [Men, brethren and fathers], hear ye what reason I yield now to you.

And when some heard that in Hebrew tongue he spake to them, they gave the more silence. And he said,

I am a man a Jew, born at Tarsus of Cilicia, nourished and in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, taught by the truth of fathers' law, a lover of the law [nourished forsooth in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, learned after the truth of fathers' law, follower, or lover, of the law], as also ye all be to day.

And I pursued this way till to the death, binding [together] and betaking into holds men and women,

as the prince of priests yieldeth witnessing to me, and all the greatest of birth [and all the more in birth]. Of whom also I took epistles to brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring from thence men bound into Jerusalem, that they should be pained.

And it was done, while I went, and approached to Damascus, at midday suddenly from heaven a great plenty of light shone about me. [Forsooth it was done, while I went and nighed to Damascus, in the midday suddenly from heaven a copious light shone about me.]

And I felled down to the earth, and heard a voice from heaven, saying to me, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me? It is hard to thee to kick against the prick [It is hard for thee for to kick against the prick].

And I answered, Who art thou Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou pursuest.

And they that were with me saw but the light [And they that were with me saw soothly the light], but they heard not the voice of him, that spake with me.

10 And I said, Lord, what shall I do? And the Lord said to me, Rise thou, and go to Damascus; and there it shall be said to thee, of all things which it behooveth thee to do.

11 And when I saw not, for the clarity of that light, I was led by the hand of fellows, and I came to Damascus.

12 And a man, Ananias, that by the law had witnessing of all Jews dwelling in Damascus, [Forsooth some man, Ananias, after the law having witnessing of all Jews dwelling in Damascus,]

13 came to me, and stood nigh, and said to me, Saul, brother, behold. And I in the same hour beheld into him.

14 And he said, God of our fathers hath before-ordained thee, that thou shouldest know the will of him, and shouldest see the rightful man [and shouldest see just Christ], and hear the voice of his mouth.

15 For thou shalt be his witness to all men, of those things that thou hast seen and heard.

16 And now, what dwellest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, by the name of him called to help [Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, in-call the name of him].

17 And it was done to me, as I turned again into [to] Jerusalem, and prayed in the temple, that I was made in ravishing of soul,

18 and I saw him saying to me, Hie thou, and go out fast of Jerusalem, for they shall not receive thy witnessing of me.

19 And I said, Lord, they know, that I was closing together in prison, and beating by synagogues them that believed into thee [them that believed in thee].

20 And when the blood of Stephen, thy witness, was shed out [was shed], I stood nigh, and consented, and kept the clothes of men that slew him.

21 And he said to me, Go thou, for I shall send thee far to nations.

Paul Speaks to the Crowd(A)

37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks,(B) he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”

“Do you speak Greek?” he replied. 38 “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness(C) some time ago?”(D)

39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus(E) in Cilicia,(F) a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”

40 After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned(G) to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic[a]:(H) 22 “Brothers and fathers,(I) listen now to my defense.”

When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,(J) they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: “I am a Jew,(K) born in Tarsus(L) of Cilicia,(M) but brought up in this city. I studied under(N) Gamaliel(O) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.(P) I was just as zealous(Q) for God as any of you are today. I persecuted(R) the followers of this Way(S) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,(T) as the high priest and all the Council(U) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates(V) in Damascus,(W) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.(X) I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

“‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,(Y) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light,(Z) but they did not understand the voice(AA) of him who was speaking to me.

10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’(AB) 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.(AC)

12 “A man named Ananias came to see me.(AD) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.(AE) 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors(AF) has chosen you to know his will and to see(AG) the Righteous One(AH) and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness(AI) to all people of what you have seen(AJ) and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized(AK) and wash your sins away,(AL) calling on his name.’(AM)

17 “When I returned to Jerusalem(AN) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance(AO) 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison(AP) and beat(AQ) those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr[b] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’(AR)

21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ (AS)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 21:40 Or possibly Hebrew; also in 22:2
  2. Acts 22:20 Or witness