1. Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you.
2. And hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says,
3. I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the exactness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye are all this day;
4. who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women;
5. as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood: from whom also, having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus to bring those also who were there, bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished.
6. And it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid-day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me.
7. And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8. And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom thou persecutest.
9. But they that were with me beheld the light, and were filled with fear, but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me.
10. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee to do.
11. And as I could not see, through the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus.
12. And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt there,