1Brethren and fathers , hear ye the defence which I now make unto you . 2And 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 .
The Vision on the Road to Damascus
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 , 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 beheld indeed the light , 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 , Arise, and go into Damascus ; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do . 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 .
Commission to the Gentiles
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 his name . 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 , Make haste , and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem ; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning 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 , and keeping the garments of them that slew him . 21And he said unto me , Depart : for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles .
The Reaction of the Crowd
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 to 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 , What art thou about to do ? 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 .
Paul's Roman Citizenship
30But on the morrow , desiring to know the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews , he loosed him , and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together , and brought Paul down and set him before them .