Acts 21:40-23:11

New King James Version

⁴⁰ So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and ^(A)motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the ^(B)Hebrew language, saying,

Paul’s Defense at Jerusalem

22 “Brethren^(C) and fathers, hear my defense before you now.” ² And when they heard that he spoke to them in the ^(D)Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent.

Then he said: ^3 (E)“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city ^(F)at the feet of ^(G)Gamaliel, taught ^(H)according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and ^(I)was zealous toward God ^(J)as you all are today. ^4 (K)I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, ⁵ as also the high priest bears me witness, and ^(L)all the council of the elders, ^(M)from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus ^(N)to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶ “Now ^(O)it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. ⁷ And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ ⁸ So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

⁹ “And ^(P)those who were with me indeed saw the light ^[a]and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. ¹⁰ So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ ¹¹ And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

¹² “Then ^(Q)a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, ^(R)having a good testimony with all the ^(S)Jews who dwelt there, ¹³ came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. ¹⁴ Then he said, ^(T)‘The God of our fathers ^(U)has chosen you that you should ^(V)know His will, and ^(W)see the Just One, ^(X)and hear the voice of His mouth. ^15 (Y)For you will be His witness to all men of ^(Z)what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, ^(AA)and wash away your sins, ^(AB)calling on the name of the Lord.’

¹⁷ “Now ^(AC)it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance ¹⁸ and ^(AD)saw Him saying to me, ^(AE)‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ ¹⁹ So I said, ‘Lord, ^(AF)they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and ^(AG)beat those who believe on You. ^20 (AH)And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by ^(AI)consenting ^[b]to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ ²¹ Then He said to me, ‘Depart, ^(AJ)for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”

Paul’s Roman Citizenship

²² And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, ^(AK)“Away with such a fellow from the earth, for ^(AL)he is not fit to live!” ²³ Then, as they cried out and ^[c]tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, ²⁴ the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. ²⁵ And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, ^(AM)“Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”

²⁶ When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”

²⁷ Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?”

He said, “Yes.”

²⁸ The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.”

And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”

²⁹ Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

The Sanhedrin Divided

³⁰ The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

The Jerusalem Jews Plot to Kill Paul

23 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, ^(AN)I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” ² And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him ^(AO)to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and ^(AP)do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?”

⁴ And those who stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?”

⁵ Then Paul said, ^(AQ)“I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ^(AR)‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”

⁶ But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, ^(AS)I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; ^(AT)concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”

⁷ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. ^8 (AU)For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. ⁹ Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees’ party arose and protested, saying, ^(AV)“We find no evil in this man; ^[d]but ^(AW)if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, ^(AX)let us not fight against God.”

¹⁰ Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

The Plot Against Paul

¹¹ But ^(AY)the following night the Lord stood by him and said, ^[e]“Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in ^(AZ)Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at ^(BA)Rome.”