“诸位父老弟兄，请听我现在对你们的申辩。”
Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
2他们听保罗说的是希伯来话，就更加安静了。(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
3保罗说：“我原是犹太人，生在基利家的大数，但在这城里长大，在迦玛列门下按着我们祖宗严紧的律法受教，热心事奉神，就如你们大家今日一样。I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
4我也曾迫害信奉这道路的人，置他们于死地，无论男女都捆绑，关在监里。And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5这是大祭司和议会的众长老都可以给我作证的。我又从他们那里领了致弟兄们的书信，往大马士革去，要把在那里的信徒绑起来，带到耶路撒冷受刑。”As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
保罗叙述归主的经过
6“当我走近大马士革的时候，约在中午，忽然有一道大光从天上下来，照射在我周围。And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7我就仆倒在地，听见有声音对我说：‘扫罗！扫罗！你为什么迫害我？’And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8我回答：‘主啊！你是谁？’他对我说：‘我就是你所迫害的拿撒勒人耶稣。’And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9跟我一起的人看见了那光，却没有听见那位对我说话的声音。And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10我说：‘主啊，我该做什么？’主说：‘起来，进大马士革去，在那里有人会把指派你做的一切事告诉你。’And I said, What shall I do, LORD? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11我因那光的闪耀不能看见，跟我一起的人就拉着我的手进了大马士革。And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
12“那里有一个人，名叫亚拿尼亚，按着律法是虔诚人，为所有住在那里的犹太人所称赞。And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
13他来见我，站在旁边，对我说：‘扫罗弟兄，你看见吧！’就在那时，我恢复视觉，看见了他。Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14他又说：‘我们祖宗的神拣选了你，让你明白他的旨意，又看见那义者，听见他口中所出的声音。And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
15因为你要将所看见的、所听见的，对着万人作他的见证人。For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16现在你为什么耽延呢？起来，受洗，求告他的名，洗去你的罪。’”And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
保罗奉召向外邦人传道
17“后来，我回到耶路撒冷，在圣殿里祷告的时候，魂游象外，And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
18看见主对我说：‘你赶紧离开耶路撒冷，越快越好，因为这里的人不接受你为我作的见证。’And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19我就说：‘主啊，他们都知道，我从前在各会堂里把信你的人监禁，又鞭打他们。And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20当你的见证人司提反被害流血的时候，我也站在一旁赞同；又为打死他的人看守衣裳。’And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
21主对我说：‘你去吧！我要差你到远方外邦人那里去。’”And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
保罗与长官交涉
22众人听他说到这句话，就高声说：“这样的人，从地上除掉他吧！他是该死的。”And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23大家一边喧嚷一边摔衣裳，向空中撒灰尘。And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
24千夫长下令把保罗带进营楼，叫人用鞭子拷问他，要知道他们向他这样喧嚷是什么缘故。The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
25他们刚用皮条把他捆上的时候，保罗对站在旁边的百夫长说：“一个罗马人，又未被定罪，你们就鞭打他是合法的吗？”And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26百夫长听见这话，就去见千夫长，报告说：“你要怎么办呢？这个人是罗马人。”When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
27千夫长就来问保罗：“你告诉我，你是罗马人吗？”保罗说：“是。”Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
28千夫长回答：“我用了许多银子才得到罗马公民的身份。”保罗说：“我生来就是。”And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
29于是那些要拷问保罗的人立刻离开他走了。千夫长一知道他是罗马人，又因为曾捆绑了他，也害怕起来。Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
保罗在议会前申诉
30第二天，千夫长为要知道犹太人控告保罗的实情，就解开他，下令祭司长们和全议会的人都聚集，然后将保罗带下来，叫他站在他们面前。On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.