KJV-Parallel Bibles
1. Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
2. (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
3. I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
4. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5. As 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 went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
6. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8. And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10. And 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.
11. And 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.
12. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
13. Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14. And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
15. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
17. And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
18. And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19. And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
21. And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
22. And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23. And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
24. The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
25. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26. When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
27. Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
28. And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
29. Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30. On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.
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],
13. coming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And *I*, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him.
14. And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth;
15. for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16. And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name.
17. And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy,
18. and saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19. And *I* said, Lord, they themselves know that *I* was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee;
20. and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting, and kept the clothes of them who killed him.
21. And he said to me, Go, for *I* will send thee to the nations afar off.
22. And they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live.
23. And as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air,
24. the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain for what cause they cried thus against him.
25. But as they stretched him forward with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood [by], Is it lawful for you to scourge a man [who is] a Roman and uncondemned?
26. And the centurion, having heard it, went and reported it to the chiliarch, saying, What art thou going to do? for this man is a Roman.
27. And the chiliarch coming up said to him, Tell me, Art *thou* a Roman? And he said, Yes.
28. And the chiliarch answered, *I*, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But *I* was also [free] born.
29. Immediately therefore those who were going to examine him left him, and the chiliarch also was afraid when he ascertained that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30. And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty [of the matter] why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them.
Related Links:
KJV Bible ; Preface to the KJV 1611 ; Read the KJV in 1 Year!
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