³And he saith: I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, as also all you are this day:

⁴Who persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

⁵As the high priest doth bear me witness and all the ancients. From whom also receiving letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus, that I might bring them bound from thence to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶And it came to pass, as I was going and drawing nigh to Damascus, at mid-day, that suddenly from heaven there shone round about me a great light:

⁷And falling on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

⁸And I answered: Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

⁹And they that were with me saw indeed the light: but they heard not the voice of him that spoke with me.

¹⁰And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise and go to Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things that thou must do.

¹¹And whereas I did not see for the brightness of that light, being led by the hand by my companions, I came to Damascus,

¹²And one Ananias, a man according to the law, having testimony of all the Jews who dwelt there,

¹³Coming to me and standing by me, said to me: Brother Saul, look up. And I, the same hour, looked upon him.

¹⁴But he said: The God of our fathers hath preordained thee that thou shouldst know his will and see the Just One and shouldst hear the voice from his mouth.

¹⁵For thou shalt be his witness to all men of those things which thou hast seen and heard.

¹⁶And now why tarriest thou? Rise up and be baptized and wash away thy sins, invoking his name.

¹⁷And it came to pass, when I was come again to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance,

¹⁸And saw him saying unto me: Make haste and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

¹⁹And I said: Lord, they know that I cast into prison and beat in every synagogue them that believed in thee.

²⁰And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I stood by and consented: and kept the garments of them that killed him.

²¹And he said to me: Go, for unto the Gentiles afar off will I send thee.

²²And they heard him until this word and then lifted up their voice, saying: Away with such an one 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 tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and that he should be scourged and tortured: to know for what cause they did so cry out against him.

²⁵And when they had bound him with thongs, Paul saith to the centurion that stood by him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned?

²⁶Which the centurion hearing, went to the tribune and told him, saying: What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.

²⁷And the tribune coming, said to him: Tell me. Art thou a Roman? But he said: Yea.

²⁸And the tribune answered: I obtained the being free of this city with a great sum. And Paul said: But I was born so.

²⁹Immediately therefore they departed from him that were about to torture him. The tribune also was afraid after he understood that he was a Roman citizen and because he had bound him.

³⁰But on the next day, meaning to know more diligently for what cause he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him and commanded the priests to come together and all the council: and, bringing forth Paul, he set him before them.

Chapter 23

And Paul, looking upon the council, said: Men, brethren, I have conversed with all good conscience before God until this present day.

²And the high priest, Ananias, commanded them that stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

³Then Paul said to him: God shall strike thee, thou whited wall. For, sittest thou to judge me according to the law and, contrary to the law, commandest me to be struck?

⁴And they that stood by said: Dost thou revile the high priest of God?

⁵And Paul said: I knew not, brethren, that he is the high priest. For it is written: Thou shalt not speak evil of the prince of thy people.

⁶And Paul, knowing that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, cried out in the council: Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees: concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

⁷And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And the multitude was divided.

⁸For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

⁹And there arose a great cry. And some of the Pharisees rising up, strove, saying: We find no evil in this man. What if a spirit hath spoken to him, or an angel?

¹⁰And when there arose a great dissension, the tribune, fearing lest Paul should be pulled in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him by force from among them and to bring him into the castle.

¹¹And the night following, the Lord standing by him, said: Be constant: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

¹²And when day was come, some of the Jews gathered together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they killed Paul.

¹³And they were more than forty men that had made this conspiracy.

¹⁴Who came to the chief priests and the ancients and said: We have bound ourselves under a great curse that we will eat nothing till we have slain Paul.

¹⁵Now therefore do you with the council signify to the tribune, that he bring him forth to you, as if you meant to know something more certain touching him. And we, before he come near, are ready to kill him.

¹⁶Which when Paul’s sister’s son had heard, of their lying in wait, he came and entered into the castle and told Paul.

¹⁷And Paul, calling to him one of the centurions, said: Bring this young man to the tribune: for he hath some thing to tell him.

¹⁸And he, taking him, brought him to the tribune and said: Paul, the prisoner, desired me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath some thing to say to thee.

¹⁹And the tribune, taking him by the hand, went aside with him privately and asked him: What is it that thou hast to tell me?

²⁰And he said: The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldst bring forth Paul to-morrow into the council, as if they meant to inquire some thing more certain touching him.

²¹But do not thou give credit to them: for there lie in wait for him more than forty men of them, who have bound themselves by oath neither to eat nor to drink, till they have killed him. And they are now ready, looking for a promise from thee.

²²The tribune therefore dismissed the young man, charging him that he should tell no man that he had made known these things unto him.

²³Then having called two centurions, he said to them: Make ready two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea: and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, for the third hour of the night.

²⁴And provide beasts, that they may set Paul on and bring him safe to Felix the governor.

²⁵(For he feared lest perhaps the Jews might take him away by force and kill him: and he should afterwards be slandered, as if he was to take money.) And he wrote a letter after this manner:

²⁶Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor, Felix, greeting:

²⁷This man, being taken by the Jews and ready to be killed by them, I rescued, coming in with an army, understanding that he is a Roman.

²⁸And meaning to know the cause which they objected unto him, I brought him forth into their council.

²⁹Whom I found to be accused concerning questions of their law; but having nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bands.

³⁰And when I was told of ambushes that they had prepared for him, I sent him to thee, signifying also to his accusers to plead before thee. Farewell.

³¹Then the soldiers, according as it was commanded them, taking Paul, brought him by night to Antipatris.

³²And the next day, leaving the horsemen to go with him, they returned to the castle.

³³Who, when they were come to Caesarea and had delivered the letter to the governor, did also present Paul before him.

³⁴And when he had read it and had asked of what province he was and understood that he was of Cilicia:

³⁵I will hear thee, said he, when thy accusers come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.

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