Acts 22

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

Brethren, and Fathers, hear now my apology 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 he spake to them in the Hebrew dialect, they the more readily kept silence, and he said, )

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 indeed a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, accurately instructed in the law of our fathers, being zealous for 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 those of this persuasion even unto death, binding and delivering into prisons 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 high priest is my witness, and all the elders: from whom I received letters to our brethren, and went to Damascus to bring those also, that were there, bound to Jerusalem, to be punished.

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

And it came to pass that as I was on my journey and drew nigh to Damascus, about mid-day, on a sudden a great light from heaven shone round about me:

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

and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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

And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And He said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

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

And they that were with me saw the light indeed, and were affrighted; but they did not hear the voice of Him that spake to 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, Lord, what shall I do? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which are appointed for thee to do.

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

And as I could not see by reason of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those that were with me, I came to 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 devout observer of the law, who had a good character from all the Jews that dwelt there,

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 stood by me, and said, Brother Saul, look up: and I immediately looked up upon 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, The God of our Fathers hath before appointed thee to know his will, and to see the just One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

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

For thou shalt be his witness unto all men, of what 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 shouldst thou delay? Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling upon 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 when I was returned to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, I was in a trance.

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 saying unto me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem; 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, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and scourged in the synagogues them that believed on 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 Stephen was shed, I also stood by and consented to 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.’”

But he said unto me, Go away; for I will send thee far hence unto 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 to this word, and then they exalted their voice, saying, Away with such a fellow from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.

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

And as they were bawling out, and throwing off their clothes, and casting up dust into the air,

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 him to be brought into the castle, and ordered him to be put to the question by scourging; that he might know for what reason they so cried out 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 were binding him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, uncondemned?

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 the centurion hearing this, went and told the tribune, saying, Consider what thou art about to do; for this man is a Roman.

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

Then the tribune came and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes.

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

And the tribune replied, I obtained this freedom with a large sum of money. And Paul said, But I was free-born.

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.

Immediately therefore those who were going to put him to the question quitted him: and the tribune also was afraid, when he knew that he was a Roman, and 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 on the morrow, desiring to know for certain what he was accused of by the Jews, he loosed him from his bonds, and ordered the chief priests and all their council to attend; and he brought down Paul, and set him before them: