The Early Church

and when he came upon the steps, it happened he was borne by the soldiers, because of the violence of the multitude,

for the crowd of the people was following after, crying, `Away with him.'

And Paul being about to be led into the castle, saith to the chief captain, `Is it permitted to me to say anything unto thee?' and he said, `Greek dost thou know?

art not thou, then, the Egyptian who before these days made an uprising, and did lead into the desert the four thousand men of the assassins?'

And Paul said, `I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, of Tarsus of Cilicia, of no mean city a citizen; and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.'

And he having given him leave, Paul having stood upon the stairs, did beckon with the hand to the people, and there having been a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew dialect, saying:

`Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defence now unto you;' --

and they having heard that in the Hebrew dialect he was speaking to them, gave the more silence, and he saith, --

`I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactitude of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all ye are to-day.

`And this way I persecuted unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women,

as also the chief priest doth testify to me, and all the eldership; from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, to Damascus, I was going on, to bring also those there bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished,

and it came to pass, in my going on and coming nigh to Damascus, about noon, suddenly out of the heaven there shone a great light round about me,

I fell also to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?

`And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? and he said unto me, I am Jesus the Nazarene whom thou dost persecute--

and they who are with me the light did see, and became afraid, and the voice they heard not of him who is speaking to me--

and I said, What shall I do, Lord? and the Lord said unto me, Having risen, go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things that have been appointed for thee to do.

`And when I did not see from the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who are with me, I came to Damascus,

and a certain one, Ananias, a pious man according to the law, being testified to by all the Jews dwelling there ,

having come unto me and stood by me , said to me, Saul, brother, look up; and I the same hour did look up to him;

and he said, The God of our fathers did choose thee beforehand to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice out of his mouth,

because thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard;

and now, why tarriest thou? having risen, baptize thyself, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

`And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance,

and I saw him saying to me, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me;

and I said, Lord, they--they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing on thee;