| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1“Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.” | 1“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” |
| 2When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater. | 2When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. Then Paul declared, |
| 3Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you 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. |
| 4And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. | 4I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison, |
| 5The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, 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“As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. | 6About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. |
| 7I 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?’ |
| 8“‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ | 8‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. |
| 9The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me. | 9My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me. |
| 10“I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ “And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are 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.’ |
| 11“I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions. | 11Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus. |
| 12A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus. | 12There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there, |
| 13He came and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And that very moment I could see him! | 13came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him. |
| 14“Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. | 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 are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. | 15You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard. |
| 16What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by 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“After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance. | 17Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance |
| 18I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t 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.’ |
| 19“‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those 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 I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned 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.’ |
| 21“But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for 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 listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t 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!” |
| 23They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air. Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship | 23As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, |
| 24The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious. | 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 tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?” | 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 officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you doing? 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 commander went over and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied. | 27The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered. |
| 28“I am, too,” the commander muttered, “and it cost me plenty!” Paul answered, “But I am a citizen by birth!” | 28“I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. |
| 29The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped. Paul before the High Council | 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 the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have 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. |
|
