1Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defense which I now make unto you.
2(And when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, they were the more quiet: and he saith,)
3I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day:
4and I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and journeyed to Damascus to bring them also that were there unto Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.
6And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me,
8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me,
9And they that were with me beheld indeed the light, and were afraid, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me,
11And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me I came into Damascus.
12And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt there,
13came unto me, and standing by me said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And in that very hour I looked up on him.
14And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
15For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
17And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
18and saw him saying unto me,
19And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and keeping the garments of them that slew him.
21And he said unto me,
22And they gave him audience unto this word; and they lifted up their voice, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live!
23And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,
24the chief captain commanded him be brought into the castle, bidding that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they so shouted against him.
25And when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26And when the centurion heard it, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, Take heed what thou doest; for this man is a Roman.
27And the chief captain came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yea.
28And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship. And Paul said, But I am [a Roman] born.
29They then that were about to examine him straightway departed from him: and the chief captain also was afraid when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30But on the morrow, desiring to know the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from the bands, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.