JMNT(i)
1 "Men! Brothers (= Fellow Jews) and fathers! Listen, and hear my defense to you now!"
2 Well, upon hearing that he was now loudly addressing them in the Hebrew language (or: dialect), they provided even more quietness of behavior [D reads: became more calm and tranquil]. And so he continued affirming,
3 "I myself am a man [who is] a Jew having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but having been nourished, trained and educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel – disciplined and instructed corresponding to and in accord with the strictness, accuracy and precision of the ancestral Law (or: the Law received from the fathers); continuing under a beginning of being God's zealot (or: progressing from a humble beginning, being zealous concerning God), just as all of you yourselves are today!
4 "I – who quickly gave pursuit and persecuted this Way, to the extent of death, repeatedly binding and handing over into prison both men and women,
5 "as both the chief priest and the entire body of elders continue bearing witness (or: giving testimony) to (or: for) me, from whom also receiving letters to [D adds: all] the brothers (= fellow Jews) – I was continuing my journey into Damascus, intending to be bringing also those [of this Way] being there, bound (= as prisoners), into Jerusalem, so that they could (or: would) be punished.
6 "Now it happened to me, during going my way and when drawing near to Damascus, at about midday, suddenly and unexpectedly from out of the sky (or: forth from the midst of heaven; out of the atmosphere) a bright and intense Light flashed all around me like lightning!
7 "At this, I fell onto the road (literally: the bottom), and I heard a Voice repeatedly saying to me, 'Saul... Saul! Why do you continue pursuing and persecuting Me?'
8 "So I myself gave a considered reply, 'Who are You, Lord (or: Master; Sir)?' Then He said to me, 'I am (or: I Myself Am) Jesus, the Nazarene, Whom you yourself continue pursuing and persecuting!'
9 "Now the men being with me indeed had a view of and gazed at the Light [D and others add: and came to be afraid], yet they did not hear the One presently speaking to me.
10 "At that I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' So the Lord said to me, 'After standing up (or: Upon rising), continue on your way into Damascus, and there it will be spoken to you about all things which it has been arranged and aligned for you to do.'
11 "So, since I continued being in a condition of not seeing – from the glory (= dazzling brightness) of that Light – I came into Damascus, being progressively led by the hand under [the directing and assistance] of the folks being with me.
12 "Now Ananias, a certain well-received adult man who took a good hold on things that corresponded to the Law, [which fact] was being constantly attested by all the Jews normally dwelling [p41 and others add: in Damascus] so that he was held in high regard.
13 "Upon coming to me and standing near, he said to me, 'Brother Saul (or: Saul, my brother)! Look up and see again!' And I myself at once looked up into him and saw again (or: recovered my sight) – in that very hour (= right then)!
14 "So he said to me, 'The God of our fathers (or: ancestors) took you in hand beforehand (or: handled you in advance; or: hand-picked you ahead of time) to know His will and to gain insight about the effect of His intent, and the result of His design and purpose, by intimate experience, and then to see the Fair and Equitable One (the One who is Rightwised, Just, in right relationships, and who embodies the Way pointed out), and to hear [the] voice forth from His mouth,
15 "'because (or: that) you will be a witness for (or: to; with; by) Him to all mankind (or: you will be evidence about Him with a view toward all humanity) of what (or: concerning which things) you have seen and heard (or: and now hear).
16 "'And so now, what are you presently waiting for (or: why do you continue delaying)? Upon rising (standing up), at once immerse yourself (dip yourself) and you yourself wash away your mistakes (your failures to hit the target; your errors; your sins), after having called upon His Name!'
17 "Now it happened to me, after returning into Jerusalem and then during my continuing in projecting thoughts and words toward events and situations being well (or: praying), within the midst of the Temple complex, I came to be (or: was birthed) within an ecstasy
18 "and then to see Him presently saying to me, 'Hurry up and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony (or: witness; evidence) concerning Me.'
19 "And so I myself said, 'Lord, they themselves continue being well-versed and understand that in one synagogue after another I myself was repeatedly imprisoning and flaying (flogging) the folks trusting and believing upon You.
20 "'Then when the blood of Stephen, Your witness, was being progressively poured out, I myself was also standing by and continuing in consenting (approving; endorsing) as well as guarding the outer garments of those in the process of assassinating (murdering) him.'
21 "Then He said to me, 'Get on your way, because I Myself will be sending you off with a mission, out into the ethnic multitudes (or: nations; non-Jews) afar off.'"
22 Now they kept on listening to his [speech; presentation] – down to this word! Then they suddenly raised their voice, [together and one after another] repeatedly saying, "Be lifting the likes of him away from the earth (or: Be taking such a person off the Land), for he has not continued fit or suitable (it has not reached the level) for him to keep on living!"
23 More than this [p74, Aleph, D and others read: Now], with their continued crying out and one after another throwing, tossing and flinging off [their] robes and outer garments, then continuing in casting dust into the air,
24 the commander (tribune) gave orders to proceed in taking him inside, into the barracks, saying [for] him to be progressively interrogated and thoroughly examined with whips (= to undergo scourging) so that he can personally come to fully know through what cause (or: for what reason) the people were continuing to shout against him in this way.
25 Yet as they extend and stretch him forward with the thongs (or: straps), Paul says to the centurion, "If a person [be] (or: Since a man [is]) a Roman and [is] uncondemned, is it lawful or permissible for you to be scourging [him] (= Is it legal for you to flog a Roman who has not been condemned)?"
26 Well, upon hearing this the centurion, after approaching, reported to the commander, saying," [D adds: Consider] what you are about to be doing, for this man is a Roman [citizen]!"
27 So after approaching [Paul], the commander said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman [citizen]?" So [Paul] affirms, "Yes." [D reads: So he said, "I am."]
28 Now the commander, after considering, responds, "I myself, with much capital (= a large sum of money), procured for myself this citizenship!" But Paul affirmed, "Yet I myself have even been born [one] (or: But I by heredity)."
29 Immediately, therefore, the men being about to be interrogating him at once withdrew (stood away) from him. Then the commander (tribune) became afraid after becoming fully aware that he is a Roman [citizen], and that (or: because) he was the person having bound (or: imprisoned) him.
30 So on the next day, continuing being determined to know (or: = find out) the certainty of the [matter] – just why he continues being accused by the Jews, he loosed him (unshackled him and released him from prison) and then commanded the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin (High Council) to come together (to assemble). Next, bringing Paul down, he had inserted [him] into the midst, making [him] stand among them.