| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.” | 1“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” |
| 2And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said: | 2When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. Then Paul declared, |
| 3“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all 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 to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, | 4I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison, |
| 5as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there 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. |
| 6“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. | 6About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. |
| 7And 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?’ |
| 8So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ | 8‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. |
| 9“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. | 9My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me. |
| 10So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you 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.’ |
| 11And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. | 11Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus. |
| 12“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt 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 he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at 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 fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of 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. |
| 15For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. | 15You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard. |
| 16And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ | 16And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’ |
| 17“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance | 17Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance |
| 18and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ | 18and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’ |
| 19So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on 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 martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes 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, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ” | 21Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” |
| 22And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit 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!” |
| 23Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, | 23As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, |
| 24the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. | 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. |
| 25And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?” | 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 that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.” | 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.” |
| 27Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.” | 27The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered. |
| 28The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.” | 28“I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. |
| 29Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. | 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 he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him 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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