| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I am now making before you." | 1"Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense that I now make to you." |
| 2When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet, and he continued: | 2(When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter.) Then Paul said, |
| 3"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia but raised in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the strict ways of our ancestral Law. I am as zealous for God as all of you are today. | 3"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated with strictness under Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors, and was zealous for God just as all of you are today. |
| 4I persecuted this Way, even executing people, and kept tying up both men and women and putting them in prison, | 4I persecuted this Way even to the point of death, tying up both men and women and putting them in prison, |
| 5as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. I also received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, and I was going there to tie up those who were there and bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished. | 5as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to make arrests there and bring the prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. |
| 6"But while I was on my way and approaching Damascus about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. | 6As I was en route and near Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. |
| 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?' | 7Then I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' |
| 8"I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' "He told me, 'I'm Jesus from Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' | 8I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' |
| 9The men who were with me saw the light but didn't understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. | 9Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. |
| 10"Then I asked, 'What am I to do, Lord?' "The Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are destined to do.' | 10So I asked, 'What should I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything that you have been designated to do.' |
| 11Since I could not see because of the brightness of the light, the men who were with me took me by the hand and led me into Damascus. | 11Since I could not see because of the brilliance of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of those who were with me. |
| 12"A certain Ananias, who was a devout man with respect to the Law and who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there, | 12A man named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who live there, |
| 13came to me. He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' At that moment I could see him. | 13came to me and stood beside me and said to me, 'Brother Saul, regain your sight!' And at that very moment I looked up and saw him. |
| 14"Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear his own voice, | 14Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors has already chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a command from his mouth, |
| 15because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. | 15because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. |
| 16So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.' | 16And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.' |
| 17"Then I returned to Jerusalem. While I was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance | 17When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance |
| 18and saw the Lord saying to me, 'Hurry up and get out of Jerusalem at once, because the people won't accept your testimony about me.' | 18and saw the Lord saying to me, 'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' |
| 19"I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I kept imprisoning and beating those who believe in you. | 19I replied, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues who believed in you. |
| 20Even when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing there, approving it and guarding the coats of those who were killing him.' | 20And when the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing nearby, approving, and guarding the cloaks of those who were killing him.' |
| 21"Then he told me, 'Go, because I'll send you far away to the gentiles.'" | 21Then he said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" |
| 22Up to this point they listened to him, but then they began to shout, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He's not fit to go on living!" | 22The crowd was listening to him until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Away with this man from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!" |
| 23While they were yelling, tossing their coats around, and throwing dirt into the air, | 23While they were screaming and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust in the air, |
| 24the tribune ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks and told the soldiers to beat and question him in order to find out why the people were yelling at him like this. | 24the commanding officer ordered Paul to be brought back into the barracks. He told them to interrogate Paul by beating him with a lash so that he could find out the reason the crowd was shouting at Paul in this way. |
| 25But when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul asked the centurion who was standing there, "Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't been condemned?" | 25When they had stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing nearby, "Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen without a proper trial?" |
| 26When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and told him, "What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!" | 26When the centurion heard this, he went to the commanding officer and reported it, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen." |
| 27So the tribune went and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said. | 27So the commanding officer came and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" He replied, "Yes." |
| 28Then the tribune replied, "I paid a lot of money for this citizenship of mine." Paul said, "But I was born a citizen." | 28The commanding officer answered, "I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money." "But I was even born a citizen," Paul replied. |
| 29Immediately those who were about to examine him stepped back, and the tribune was afraid when he found out that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had tied him up. | 29Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away from him, and the commanding officer was frightened when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had had him tied up. |
| 30The next day, since the tribune wanted to find out exactly what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, he released him and ordered the high priests and the entire Council to meet. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them. | 30The next day, because the commanding officer wanted to know the true reason Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council to assemble. He then brought Paul down and had him stand before them. |
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