Acts 22

1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

Ye men, brethren and Fathers, heare my defence nowe towards you.

2 When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. Then Paul declared,

(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrewe tongue to them, they kept the more silence, and he sayd)

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just as zealous for God as any of you here today.

I am verely a man, which am a Iew, borne in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought vp in this citie at the feete of Gamaliel, and instructed according to the perfect maner of the Lawe of the Fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

4 I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,

And I persecuted this way vnto the death, binding and deliuering into prison both men and women.

5 as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

As also ye chiefe Priest doeth beare me witnes, and al the company of the Elders: of whom also I receiued letters vnto the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring them which were there, bound vnto Hierusalem, that they might be punished.

6 About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.

And so it was, as I iourneyed and was come neere vnto Damascus about noone, that suddenly there shone from heauen a great light round about me.

7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

So I fell vnto the earth, and heard a voyce, saying vnto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou mee?

8 ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.

Then I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Iesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

9 My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

Moreouer they that were with me, sawe in deede a light and were afraide: but they heard not the voyce of him that spake vnto me.

10 Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’

Then I sayd, What shall I doe, Lord? And the Lord sayde vnto me, Arise, and goe into Damascus: and there it shall be tolde thee of all things, which are appointed for thee to doe.

11 Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.

So when I could not see for the glory of that light, I was led by the hand of them that were with me, and came into Damascus.

12 There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,

And one Ananias a godly man, as perteining to the Lawe, hauing good report of all the Iewes which dwelt there,

13 came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

Came vnto me, and stoode, and sayd vnto me, Brother Saul, receiue thy sight: and that same houre I looked vpon him.

14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear His voice.

And he sayd, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee, that thou shouldest knowe his wil, and shouldest see that Iust one, and shouldest heare the voyce of his mouth.

15 You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

For thou shalt be his witnes vnto all men, of the things which thou hast seene and heard.

16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’

Now therefore why tariest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sinnes, in calling on the Name of the Lord.

17 Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance

And it came to passe, that when I was come againe to Hierusalem, and prayed in the Temple, I was in a traunce,

18 and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’

And saw him saying vnto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Hierusalem: for they will not receiue thy witnes concerning me.

19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.

Then I sayd, Lord, they know that I prisoned, and beat in euery Synagogue them that beleeued in thee.

20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’

And when the blood of thy martyr Steuen was shed, I also stood by, and consented vnto his death, and kept the clothes of them that slew him.

21 Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

Then he sayd vnto me, Depart: for I will send thee farre hence vnto the Gentiles.

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”

And they heard him vnto this worde, but then they lift vp their voyces, and sayd, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not meete that he should liue.

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

And as they cried and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the aire,

24 the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.

The chiefe captaine commanded him to be led into the castle, and bade that he should be scourged, and examined, that he might knowe wherefore they cryed so on him.

25 But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”

And as they bound him with thongs, Paul sayd vnto the Centurion that stood by, Is it lawfull for you to scourge one that is a Romane, and not condemned?

26 On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “What are you going to do?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

Nowe when the Centurion heard it, hee went, and tolde the chiefe captaine, saying, Take heede what thou doest: for this man is a Romane.

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.

Then the chiefe captaine came, and sayd to him, Tel me, art thou a Romane? And he said, Yea.

28 “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

And the chiefe captaine answered, With a great summe obtained I this freedome. Then Paul sayd, But I was so borne.

29 Then those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.

Then straightway they departed from him, which should haue examined him: and the chiefe captaine also was afrayd, after he knewe that hee was a Romane, and that he had bound him.

30 The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

On the next day, because hee would haue knowen the certaintie wherefore he was accused of the Iewes, he loosed him from his bonds, and commanded the hie Priests and all their Councill to come together: and he brought Paul, and set him before them.