³⁷ Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” And the man replied, “Do you know Greek? ³⁸ Then you are not [as I assumed] the Egyptian who ^[a]some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led those 4,000 men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” ³⁹ Paul said, “I am a Jew from ^[b]Tarsus in Cilicia (Mersin Province, Turkey), a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” ⁴⁰ When the commander had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, gestured with his hand to the people; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect (Jewish Aramaic), saying,

Paul’s Defense before the Jews

22 “Brethren and fathers (kinsmen), hear my defense which I now offer to you.”

² When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet. And he continued,

³ “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of ^[c]Gamaliel according to the strictness of the law of our fathers, being ardent and passionate for God just as all of you are today. ⁴ I persecuted and pursued the followers of this ^[d]Way to the death, binding them with chains and putting [followers of Jesus] both men and women into prisons, ⁵ as the high priest and all the Council of the elders (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) can testify; because from them I received letters to the brothers, and I was on my way to Damascus in order to bring those [believers] who were there to Jerusalem in chains to be punished.

⁶ “But as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a great blaze of light suddenly flashed from heaven and 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 replied, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ ⁹ Now those who were with me ^[e]saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. ¹⁰ And I asked, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that is appointed and destined for you to do.’ ¹¹ But since I could not see because of the [glorious intensity and dazzling] brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.

¹² “And one Ananias, a devout man according to ^[f]the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, ¹³ came to [see] me, and standing near, he said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I [recovered my sight and] looked up at him. ¹⁴ And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, [and to progressively understand His plan with clarity and power] and to see the Righteous One [Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and to hear a message from His [own] mouth. ¹⁵ For you will be His witness to all men testifying of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ Now, why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name [for salvation].’

¹⁷ “Then it happened when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple [enclosure], that I fell into a trance (vision); ¹⁸ and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ ¹⁹ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know [without any doubt] that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You [and Your message of salvation]. ²⁰ And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing nearby approving and consenting [to his death], and guarding the coats of those who were killing him.’ ²¹ And the Lord said to me, ‘Go, I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”