1 "1Brethren* and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you."
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And when they heard that he was addressing them in the 2Hebrewdialect, they became even morequiet; and he said,
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"3I am4a Jew, born in 5Tarsus of 6Cilicia, but brought up in thiscity, educatedunder**7Gamaliel, 8strictlyaccording to the law of our fathers, beingzealous for Godjust as 9you all are today.
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"10I persecutedthis11Way to the death, binding and puttingbothmen and women into prisons,
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as also12the highpriest and all13the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also14receivedletters to 15the brethren, and started off for 16Damascus in order to bringeventhose who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.
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"17But it happened that as I was on my way, approachingDamascusaboutnoontime, a verybrightlightsuddenlyflashed from heavenallaround me,
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and I fell to the ground and heard a voicesaying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'
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"And I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am18Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.'
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"And thosewho were with me 19saw the light, to be sure, but 20did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.
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"And I said, '21What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lordsaid to me, 'Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.'