¶ Ye men, brethren, and fathers, hear mine answer which I make unto you. When they heard that he spake Hebrew unto them, they kept the more silence. And he said: I am verily a man which am a iewe, born in Tharsus, a city in Cicill, nevertheless yet brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, and informed diligently in the law of the fathers, and was fervent minded to Godward, as ye all are this same day, and I persecuted this way unto the death binding, and delivering into prison both men and women, as the chief priest doth bear me witness, and all the seniors: of whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascon to bring them which were there bound unto Ierusalem for to be punished.
¶ And it fortuned that as I made my journey, and was come nye unto Damascon, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me, and I fell unto the earth, and heard a voice saying unto me. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered: what art thou Lord? and he said unto me? I am Iesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw verily a light and were afraid: but they heard not the voice of him that spake with me. And I said: what shall I do Lord? And the Lord said unto me: Arise and go into Damascon and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. And when I saw nothing for the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand of them that were with me, and came into Damascon. One Ananias a perfect man, and as pertaining to the law having good report of all the jewes which there dwelt, came unto me, and stood and said unto me: Brother Saul receive thy sight. And that same hour I received my sight and saw him. And he said unto me, the God of our fathers hath ordained thee before, that thou shouldest know his will, and shouldest see that which is rightful, and shouldest hear the voice of his mought: for thou shalt be his witness unto all men of those things which thou hast seen and heard. And now: why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptised, and wash away thy sins, in calling on the name of the Lord.
¶ And it fortuned, when I was come again to Ierusalem and prayed in the temple, that I was in a trance, And saw him saying unto me: Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Ierusalem: for they will not receive the witness that thou bearest of me. And I said: Lord they know that I prisoned, and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee. And when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also stood by, and consented unto his death and kept the raiment of them that slew him. And he said unto me: depart for I will send thee afar hence unto the gentiles.
¶ They gave him audience unto this word, and lifted up their voices and said: away with such a fellow from the earth: it is pity that he should live. And they cried and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air. The captain bade him to be brought into the castle, and commanded him to be scourged, and to be examined, that he might know wherefore they cried on him. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto an undercaptain: Is it lawful for you to scourge a Roman uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went to the uppercaptain, and told him saying: What intendest thou to do? This man is a Roman.
¶ The uppercaptain came to him, and said: Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said: Yea And the captain answered: With much money obtained I this freedom. And Paul said: I was freeborn. Then straightway departed from him they which should have examined him. And the captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman: because he had bound him.
¶ On the morrow he lowsed him from his bonds desiring to know the certainty for what cause he was accused of the jewes, and commanded the high priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul, and set him before them.
© Faith of God
William Tyndale 1526