2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language,¹ they became even more quiet. And he said:

3 ^y“I am a ^zJew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of ^aGamaliel² according to the ^bstrict manner of the law of our fathers, being ^czealous for God as all of you are this day. 4 I ^dpersecuted this ^eWay to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.