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Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you.
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And hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says,
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*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;
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who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women;
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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.
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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.
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And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
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And *I* answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, *I* am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom *thou* persecutest.
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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.
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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.
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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.