Acts 22

1 Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you.

"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make in your presence."

2 And hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says,

When they heard him speaking in Hebrew they became the more quiet.

3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to [the] exactness of the law of [our] fathers, being zealous for God, as ye are all this day;

"I am a Jew," he said, "born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strict manner of the Law of our forefathers, ardent for God, even as you all are this day.

4 who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women;

"I persecuted to the death this way, continually binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women.

5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood: from whom also, having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus to bring those also who were there, bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished.

"To this the high priest and all the council of elders are witnesses. It was from them that I received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was already on my way to bring those also who were there back to Jerusalem, in bonds, for punishment.

6 And it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid-day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me.

"But when, on my journey, I was nearing Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone round about me.

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

"I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, "‘Saul! Saul! why are you persecuting me?’

8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom thou persecutest.

"‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. "‘I am Jesus, the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting,’ he answered me.

9 But they that were with me beheld the light, [and were filled with fear], but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me.

"Now my companions, though they beheld the light, did not hear the words of Him who spoke to me.

10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee to do.

"And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ and the Lord said to me, ‘Rise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about all that you are destined to do.’

11 And as I could not see, through the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus.

"And as I was seeing nothing for the glory of the light, I was led by the hand of my companions, and so came into Damascus.

12 And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt [there],

"And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the Law, well thought of by all the Jews who lived there,

13 coming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And I, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him.

"came to me, and standing by me, said to me, "‘Brother Saul, receive your sight’ "In that very hour I regained my sight and looked up at him.

14 And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth;

"Then he said. "‘The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know his will; and to see the righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

15 for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

"‘For before the face of all men you will be a witness for him of what you have seen and heard.

16 And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name.

"‘And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling upon his name.’

17 And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy,

"After my return to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple,

18 and saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

"I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, "‘Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive your testimony concerning me.’

19 And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee;

"‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘they themselves well know that I was beating and imprisoning in synagogue after synagogue those who believed in you,

20 and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting, and kept the clothes of them who killed him.

"‘and when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting, and holding the garments of his murders.’

21 And he said to me, Go, for I will send thee to the nations afar off.

"‘Depart,’ he said to me, ‘for I will send you forth, far hence, to the Gentiles.’"

22 And they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live.

Until they heard this last statement, the people were listening to Paul, but now they roared out. "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is not fit to live!"

23 And as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air,

When they continued to shout, throwing their clothes into the air, and flinging dust around,

24 the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain for what cause they cried thus against him.

the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and examined under the lash, to learn for what reason the people were thus crying out against him.

25 But as they stretched him forward with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood [by], Is it lawful for you to scourge a man [who is] a Roman and uncondemned?

But when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing near, "If a man is a Roman citizen, and uncondemned, is it lawful for you to scourge him?"

26 And the centurion, having heard it, went and reported it to the chiliarch, saying, What art thou going to do? for this man is a Roman.

When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him. "What are you intending to do? This man is a Roman citizen."

27 And the chiliarch coming up said to him, Tell me, Art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes.

So the tribune came to Paul and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.

28 And the chiliarch answered, I, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was also [free] born.

"I paid a large sum to get this citizenship," said the tribune. "But I was citizen-born," said Paul.

29 Immediately therefore those who were going to examine him left him, and the chiliarch also was afraid when he ascertained that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Then those who were about to scourge him, immediately left him. And the tribune too, was afraid, when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound.

30 And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty [of the matter] why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them.

The next day, as he wished to learn the real reason why the Jews accused Paul, he unbound him, and commanded the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to come together, and brought Paul down, and placed him before them.