Acts 22

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

Men, brothers, and fathers, hear now my defense to you.

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

And having heard that he called out to them in the Hebrew language, they offered more silence. And he says,

3 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.

I am indeed a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but reared in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, reared accurately in the paternal law, being a zealot of God, as ye all are today.

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

And I persecuted this Way as far as death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 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.

As also the high priest testifies about me, and all the senior council, from whom also having received letters to the brothers in Damascus, I was going to bring bound even those who were there to Jerusalem so that they might be punished.

6 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.

And there happened to me, while going and approaching Damascus about noon, suddenly to flash forth from heaven a great light around me.

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

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

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

And I answered, Who are thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou persecute.

9 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.

And those who were with me indeed saw the light and became afraid, but they heard not the voice of him who spoke to me.

10 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.

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, After rising, go into Damascus, and there it will be told thee about all things that have been assigned for thee to do.

11 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.

And as I was not seeing from the splendor of that light, I came into Damascus, being led by hand by those who accompanied me.

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

And a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report by all the Jews who dwell there,

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

having come near me, and having stood by, he said to me, Brother Saul, look up. And I looked up on him the same hour.

14 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.

And he said, The God of our fathers appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous Man, and to hear a voice from his mouth,

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

because thou will be a witness for him to all men of the things that thou have seen and heard.

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

And now what is it going to be? Having arisen, immerse and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

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

And it came to pass, my having returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, for me to became in a trance.

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

And I saw him saying to me, Hurry and depart in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept thy testimony about me.

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

And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those who believe in thee.

20 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.

And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I myself also was standing by, and approving his killing, and keeping the garments of those who killed him.

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

And he said to me, Depart, because I will send thee far away to Gentiles.

22 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.

And they heard him until this word. And they lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a man from the earth, for he is not fit to live.

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

And of them crying out, and throwing off their garments, and casting dust into the air,

24 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.

the chief captain commanded him be brought into the fort, having said to examine him by scourging, so that he might know for what reason they shouted against him this way.

25 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?

And as they stretched him out with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it permitted for you to scourge a Roman man, and uncondemned?

26 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.

And when the centurion heard, having come to the chief captain, he reported, saying, Look! What are thou about to do? For this man is a Roman.

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

And the chief captain having come, he said to him, Tell me if thou are a Roman. And he said, Yes.

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

And the chief captain answered, Of a great sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But then I was born so.

29 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.

Straightaway therefore those who were about to examine him withdrew from him. And the chief captain was also afraid when he learned that he was a Roman, and because he was who bound him.

30 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.

But on the morrow, wanting to know the certainty of why he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to come. And having brought Paul down, he set him before them.