But Saul was trying to destroy ¹  the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off ²  both men and women and put them in prison. ³ 

biblegateway Act 8:3

But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.

Saul, however, was ravaging the church, and he would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.

But Saul was attempting to destroy the church. Entering _house after house_, he dragged off both men and women [and] delivered [them] to prison.

biblegateway Act 8:3

But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

bibleoremus Act 8:3

But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.

Saul, meanwhile, was harrying the church; he entered house after house, seizing men and women and sending them to prison.

biblegateway Act 8:3

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed [them] to prison.

biblegateway Act 8:3

But Saul was trying to destroy ¹  the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off ²  both men and women and put them in prison. ³ 

¹ tn Or “began to harm [the church] severely.” If the nuance of this verb is “destroy,” then the imperfect verb ἐλυμαίνετο (elumaineto) is best translated as a conative imperfect as in the translation above. If instead the verb is taken to mean “injure severely” (as L&N 20.24), it should be translated in context as an ingressive imperfect (“began to harm the church severely”). Either option does not significantly alter the overall meaning, since it is clear from the stated actions of Saul in the second half of the verse that he intended to destroy or ravage the church.

² tn The participle σύρων (surwn) has been translated as an finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

³ tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3.”