Paul’s Defense to the Crowd
(Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)

1Brethren, and Fathers, hear now my apology to you,

2---(and when they heard that he spake to them in the Hebrew dialect, they the more readily kept silence, and he said,)

3#NAME? 4And I persecuted those of this persuasion even unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5As the high priest is my witness, and all the elders: from whom I received letters to our brethren, and went to Damascus to bring those also, that were there, bound to Jerusalem, to be punished.

6And it came to pass that as I was on my journey and drew nigh to Damascus, about mid-day, on a sudden a great light from heaven shone round about me: 7and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And He said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9And they that were with me saw the light indeed, and were affrighted; but they did not hear the voice of Him that spake to me. 10And I said, Lord, what shall I do? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which are appointed for thee to do. 11And as I could not see by reason of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those that were with me, I came to Damascus.

12And one Ananias, a devout observer of the law, who had a good character from all the Jews that dwelt there, 13came to me, and stood by me, and said, Brother Saul, look up: and I immediately looked up upon him. 14And he said, The God of our Fathers hath before appointed thee to know his will, and to see the just One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. 15For thou shalt be his witness unto all men, of what thou hast seen and heard. 16And now why shouldst thou delay? Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

17And when I was returned to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, I was in a trance. 18And I saw Him saying unto me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and scourged in the synagogues them that believed on Thee. 20And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also stood by and consented to his death, and kept the clothes of them that slew him. 21But he said unto me, Go away; for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.---

Paul the Roman Citizen

22And they heard him to this word, and then they exalted their voice, saying, Away with such a fellow from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live. 23And as they were bawling out, and throwing off their clothes, and casting up dust into the air, 24the tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and ordered him to be put to the question by scourging; that he might know for what reason they so cried out against him. 25And as they were binding him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, uncondemned? 26And the centurion hearing this, went and told the tribune, saying, Consider what thou art about to do; for this man is a Roman. 27Then the tribune came and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes. 28And the tribune replied, I obtained this freedom with a large sum of money. And Paul said, But I was free-born. 29Immediately therefore those who were going to put him to the question quitted him: and the tribune also was afraid, when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

30And on the morrow, desiring to know for certain what he was accused of by the Jews, he loosed him from his bonds, and ordered the chief priests and all their council to attend; and he brought down Paul, and set him before them: