Paul’s Defense to the Crowd
(Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)

1Ye men, brethren and Fathers, heare my defence nowe towards you.

2(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrewe tongue to them, they kept the more silence, and he sayd)

3I am verely a man, which am a Iew, borne in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought vp in this citie at the feete of Gamaliel, & instructed according to the perfect maner of the Lawe of the Fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 4And I persecuted this way vnto the death, binding and deliuering into prison both men and women. 5As also ye chiefe Priest doeth beare me witnes, & al the company of the Elders: of whom also I receiued letters vnto the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring them which were there, bound vnto Hierusalem, that they might be punished.

6And so it was, as I iourneyed and was come neere vnto Damascus about noone, that suddenly there shone from heauen a great light round about me. 7So I fell vnto the earth, and heard a voyce, saying vnto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou mee? 8Then I answered, Who art thou, Lorde? And he said to me, I am Iesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9Moreouer they that were with me, sawe in deede a light and were afraide: but they heard not the voyce of him that spake vnto me. 10Then I sayd, What shall I doe, Lord? And the Lorde sayde vnto me, Arise, and goe into Damascus: and there it shall be tolde thee of all things, which are appointed for thee to doe. 11So when I could not see for the glory of that light, I was led by the hand of them that were with me, and came into Damascus.

12And one Ananias a godly man, as perteining to the Lawe, hauing good report of all the Iewes which dwelt there, 13Came vnto me, and stoode, and sayd vnto me, Brother Saul, receiue thy sight: and that same houre I looked vpon him. 14And he sayd, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee, that thou shouldest knowe his wil, and shouldest see that Iust one, and shouldest heare the voyce of his mouth. 15For thou shalt be his witnes vnto all men, of the things which thou hast seene and heard. 16Now therefore why tariest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sinnes, in calling on the Name of the Lord.

17And it came to passe, that when I was come againe to Hierusalem, and prayed in the Temple, I was in a traunce, 18And saw him saying vnto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Hierusalem: for they will not receiue thy witnes concerning me. 19Then I sayd, Lord, they know that I prisoned, and beat in euery Synagogue them that beleeued in thee. 20And when the blood of thy martyr Steuen was shed, I also stood by, and consented vnto his death, & kept the clothes of them that slew him. 21Then he sayd vnto me, Depart: for I will send thee farre hence vnto the Gentiles.

Paul the Roman Citizen

22And they heard him vnto this worde, but then they lift vp their voyces, and sayd, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not meete that he should liue. 23And as they cried & cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the aire, 24The chiefe captaine commanded him to be led into the castle, and bade that he should be scourged, and examined, that he might knowe wherefore they cryed so on him. 25And as they bound him with thongs, Paul sayd vnto the Centurion that stood by, Is it lawfull for you to scourge one that is a Romane, and not condemned? 26Nowe when the Centurion heard it, hee went, and tolde the chiefe captaine, saying, Take heede what thou doest: for this man is a Romane. 27Then the chiefe captaine came, and sayd to him, Tel me, art thou a Romane? And he said, Yea. 28And the chiefe captaine answered, With a great summe obtained I this freedome. Then Paul sayd, But I was so borne. 29Then straightway they departed from him, which should haue examined him: and the chiefe captaine also was afrayd, after he knewe that hee was a Romane, and that he had bound him.

30On the next day, because hee would haue knowen the certaintie wherefore he was accused of the Iewes, he loosed him from his bonds, and commaunded the hie Priests and all their Councill to come together: and he brought Paul, and set him before them.