Acts 22

1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye the account which I now give unto you.

"Brethren and fathers," he said, "listen to my defence which I now make before you."

2 (And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence.)

And on hearing him address them in Hebrew, they kept all the more quiet; and he said,

3 And he saith: I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, as also all you are this day:

"I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I was carefully trained at the feet of Gamaliel in the Law of our forefathers, and, like all of you to-day, was zealous for God.

4 Who persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

I persecuted to death this new faith, continually binding both men and women and throwing them into prison;

5 As the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the ancients: from whom also receiving letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus, that I might bring them bound from thence to Jerusalem to be punished.

as the High Priest also and all the Elders can bear me witness. It was, too, from them that I received letters to the brethren in Damascus, and I was already on my way to Damascus, intending to bring those also who had fled there, in chains to Jerusalem, to be punished.

6 And it came to pass, as I was going, and drawing nigh to Damascus at midday, that suddenly from heaven there shone round about me a great light:

"But on my way, when I was now not far from Damascus, about noon a sudden blaze of light from Heaven shone round me.

7 And falling on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

I fell to the ground and heard a voice say 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 of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

"'Who art thou, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus, the Nazarene,' He replied, 'whom you are persecuting.'

9 And they that were with me, saw indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spoke with me.

"Now the men who were with me, though they saw 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: Arise, and go to Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things that thou must do.

And I asked, "'What am I to do, Lord?' "And the Lord said to me, "'Rise, and go into Damascus. There you shall be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.'

11 And whereas I did not see for the brightness of that light, being led by the hand by my companions, I came to Damascus.

"And as I could not see because the light had been so dazzling, those who were with me had to lead me by the arm, and so I came to Damascus.

12 And one Ananias, a man according to the law, having testimony of all the Jews who dwelt there,

"And a certain Ananias, a pious man who obeyed the Law and bore a good character with all the Jews of the city,

13 Coming to me, and standing by me, said to me: Brother Saul, look up. And I the same hour looked upon him.

came to me and standing at my side said, "'Brother Saul, recover your sight.' "I instantly regained my sight and looked up at him.

14 But he said: The God of our fathers hath preordained thee that thou shouldst know his will, and see the Just One, and shouldst hear the voice from his mouth.

Then he said, 'The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the righteous One and hear Him speak.

15 For thou shalt be his witness to all men, of those things which thou hast seen and heard.

For you shall be a witness for Him, to all men, of what you have seen and heard.

16 And now why tarriest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, invoking his name.

And now why delay? Rise, get yourself baptized, and wash off your sins, calling upon His name.'

17 And it came to pass, when I was come again to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance,

"After my return to Jerusalem, and while praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance.

18 And saw him saying unto me: Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

I saw Jesus, and He said to me, "'Make haste and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'

19 And I said: Lord, they know that I cast into prison, and beat in every synagogue, them that believed in thee.

"'Lord,' I replied, 'they themselves well know how active I was in imprisoning, and in flogging in synagogue after synagogue those who believe in Thee;

20 And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I stood by and consented, and kept the garments of them that killed him.

and when they were shedding the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, I was standing by, fully approving of it, and I held the clothes of those who were killing him.'

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

"'Go,' He replied; 'I will send you as an Apostle to nations far away.'"

22 And they heard him until this word, and then lifted up their voice, saying: Away with such an one from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.

Until they heard this last statement the people listened to Paul, but now with a roar of disapproval they cried out, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He ought not to be allowed to live."

23 And as they cried out and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,

And when they continued their furious shouts, throwing their clothes into the air and flinging dust about,

24 The tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and that he should be scourged and tortured: to know for what cause they did so cry out against him.

the Tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and be examined by flogging, in order to ascertain the reason why they thus cried out against him.

25 And when they had bound him with thongs, Paul saith to the centurion that stood by him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

But, when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul said to the Captain who stood by, "Does the Law permit you to flog a Roman citizen--and one too who is uncondemned?"

26 Which the centurion hearing, went to the tribune, and told him, saying: What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.

On hearing this question, the Captain went to report the matter to the Tribune. "What are you intending to do?" he said. "This man is a Roman citizen."

27 And the tribune coming, said to him: Tell me, art thou a Roman? But he said: Yea.

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

28 And the tribune answered: I obtained the being free of this city with a great sum. And Paul said: But I was born so.

"I paid a large sum for my citizenship," said the Tribune. "But I was born free," said Paul.

29 Immediately therefore they departed from him that were about to torture him. The tribune also was afraid after he understood that he was a Roman citizen, and because he had bound him.

So the men who had been on the point of putting him under torture immediately left him. And the Tribune, too, was frightened when he learnt that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound.

30 But on the next day, meaning to know more diligently for what cause he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the priests to come together, and all the council: and bringing forth Paul, he set him before them.

The next day, wishing to know exactly what charge was being brought against him by the Jews, the Tribune ordered his chains to be removed; and, having sent word to the High Priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble, he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.