| NET Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1"Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense that I now make to you." | 1“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” |
| 2(When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter.) Then Paul said, | 2When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. Then Paul declared, |
| 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. | 3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just as zealous for God as any of you here today. |
| 4I persecuted this Way even to the point of death, tying up both men and women and putting them in prison, | 4I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison, |
| 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. | 5as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished. |
| 6As I was en route and near Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. | 6About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. |
| 7Then I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' | 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ |
| 8I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' | 8‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. |
| 9Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. | 9My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me. |
| 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.' | 10Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’ |
| 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. | 11Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus. |
| 12A man named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who live there, | 12There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there, |
| 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. | 13came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him. |
| 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, | 14Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear His voice. |
| 15because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. | 15You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard. |
| 16And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.' | 16And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’ |
| 17When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance | 17Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance |
| 18and saw the Lord saying to me, 'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' | 18and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’ |
| 19I replied, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues who believed in you. | 19‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You. |
| 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.' | 20And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ |
| 21Then he said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" | 21Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” |
| 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!" | 22The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!” |
| 23While they were screaming and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust in the air, | 23As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, |
| 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. | 24the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him. |
| 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?" | 25But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?” |
| 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." | 26On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “What are you going to do?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.” |
| 27So the commanding officer came and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" He replied, "Yes." | 27The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered. |
| 28The commanding officer answered, "I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money." "But I was even born a citizen," Paul replied. | 28“I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. |
| 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. | 29Then those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains. |
| 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. | 30The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them. |
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