Acts 22

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

Brethren and fathers, hear the defence which I make to you.

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

And when they heard that Hebrew he was speaking with them, the more they ceased; and he said to them,

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 a man a Jihudoya; and I was born in Tarsos of Cilicia, but was brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and instructed perfectly in the law of our fathers. And I was zealous for Aloha, even as all of you are also.

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

And this way I persecuted unto the death, while I bound and delivered to the house of the bound 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 the chief of the priests can testify of me, and all the elders, that from them I received letters to go to the brethren who were in Darmsuk, that also them who were there I should bring to Urishlem bound, that they might be fined.

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

And as I went, and began to approach Darmsuk in the dividing of the day, suddenly from heaven there shone upon me a great light,

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

and I fell upon the earth, and heard a voice, which said to me, Shaol, Shaol, why persecutest thou me?

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

But I answered and said, Who art thou, my Lord? And he said to me, I am Jeshu Natsroya, whom thou persecutest!

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

And the men who were with me saw the light, but the voice they understood not which spake with 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.’

And I said, What shall I do, my Lord? And he said to me, Arise, go into Darmsuk, and there shall it be told thee of whatever it is commanded thee to do.

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

And while I could not see because of the glory of that light, they who were with me took me by my hands, and I entered Darmsuk.

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

And a man, one Hanania, righteous in the law, as the Jihudoyee who were there testified of him,

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

came to me, and said to me, Shaol, my brother, open thine eyes. And in a moment my eyes were opened, and I beheld 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 said to me, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see that Just One, and to hear the voice from his lips,

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

that thou mayest be a witness to all men of all that thou hast seen and heard.

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

And now why delayest thou? Arise, baptize, and be washed from thy sins, while thou callest his Name.

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

And being returned, I came hither to Urishlem. And I prayed in the temple.

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

And I saw him in a vision, when he said to me, Hasten, and remove thee from Urishlem: for they will not receive thy testimony 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.

And I said, My Lord, they know also how I delivered to the house of the bound, and smote in all the synagogues, those who have believed 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 Estephanos was shed, I also stood with them, and fulfilled the will of his murderers, and kept the garments of them who stoned him.

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

And he said to me, Go: for I send thee far away to preach to 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 when they had heard Paulos until this word, they lifted up their voice, and cried, Take from the earth one like this; for he ought not to live.

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

And as they shouted and cast their garments and threw dust to the heaven,

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 tribune commanded that he should be brought into the fortress, and commanded him to be questioned by scourging, that he might know for what cause they cried against 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 exposed him with thongs, Paulos said to the centurion who stood near him, Is it allowed you to scourge a Roman man who is 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.”

And when the centurion heard, he approached the tribune, and said to him, What doest thou? For this is a Roman man.

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

And the tribune approached him, and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said to him, Yes.

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

The tribune answered, and said to him, I with much money purchased the Roman-right. Paulos said to him, But I was born in it.

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.

And immediately those who had sought to scourge him desisted from him; and the tribune feared when he learned that he was a Roman, because 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.

AND the day after he willed to know truly what was the accusation which the Jihudoyee brought against him. And he ordered him and commanded the great priests and all the synagogue of their rulers to come; and he took Paulos and brought (him) down, and stood him among them.