Acts 22
1 Ye men, brethren and Fathers, heare my defence nowe towards you.
Brethren, and fathers, hearken to my defence before you.
2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrewe tongue to them, they kept the more silence, and he sayd)
And when they perceived that he addressed them in Hebrew, they were the more quiet: and he said to them:
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 a man who am a Jew; and I was born in Tarsus 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 God, as ye also all are.
4 And I persecuted this way vnto the death, binding and deliuering into prison both men and women.
And I persecuted this way, even to death; for I bound, and delivered up to prison, 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 the high priest is my witness, and likewise all the Elders; from whom I received letters, that I might go to the brethren in Damascus, and bring those who were there prisoners to Jerusalem, to receive capital punishment.
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 as I travelled and began to approach Damascus, at noonday, from amidst tranquillity, a great light from heaven burst upon 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 earth: and I heard a voice, which said to me: Saul, Saul! why persecutest thou 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 and said: Who art thou, my Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus the Nazarean, whom thou persecutest.
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 the men who were with me, saw the light, but heard not the voice that talked with 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: My Lord, what must I do? And our Lord said to me: Arise, go to Damascus; and there will be told thee, all that it is commanded 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 could see nothing, because of the glory of that light, those with me took me by the hand, and I entered Damascus.
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 man, Ananias, who was upright according to the law, as all the Jews there testified concerning him, came to me.
13 Came vnto me, and stoode, and sayd vnto me, Brother Saul, receiue thy sight: and that same houre I looked vpon him.
And he said to me: My brother Saul! open thine eyes. And instantly my eyes were opened; and I looked upon him.
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 to me: The God of our fathers hath ordained thee to know his will, and to behold the Just One, and to hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witnes vnto all men, of the things which thou hast seene and heard.
And thou shalt be a witness for him before all men, concerning all that thou hast 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, why delayest thou? Arise, be baptized, and be cleansed from thy sins, while thou invokest his name.
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 I returned and came hither to Jerusalem. And I prayed in the temple.
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 in a vision, when he said to me: Make haste, and get thee out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19 Then I sayd, Lord, they know that I prisoned, and beat in euery Synagogue them that beleeued in thee.
And I said: My Lord, they well know that I have delivered up to prison, and have scourged in all synagogues, those who believed 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 thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing with them, and performed the pleasure of his slayers, and took charge of the garments of those that stoned him.
21 Then he sayd vnto me, Depart: for I will send thee farre hence vnto the Gentiles.
But he said to me: Depart; for I send thee afar, to preach to the 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 when they had heard Paul as far as this sentence, they raised their voice, and cried out: Away with such a man from the earth! for he ought not to live!
23 And as they cried and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the aire,
And as they vociferated, and cast off their garments, and threw 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 Chiliarch gave orders, to carry him into the castle: and he commanded, that he should be examined with stripes; that he might know, for what cause they cried out against him.
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 were stretching him with ropes, Paul said to the centurion who stood over him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man, who is a Roman, and not yet found guilty?
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 it, he went to the Chiliarch, and said to him: What doest thou? 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 Chiliarch came to him, and said to him: Tell me; Art thou a Roman? And he said to him: Yes.
28 And the chiefe captaine answered, With a great summe obtained I this freedome. Then Paul sayd, But I was so borne.
The Chiliarch replied and said to him: With much money I acquired Roman citizenship. Paul said to him: And I was born in it.
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.
And immediately they who were intending to scourge him, fled from him: and the Chiliarch was afraid, when he learned that he was a Roman, because he had stretched him for scourging.
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.
And the next day, he wished to know truly what the accusation was, which the Jews brought against him: and he unbound him, and commanded the chief priests, and the whole company of their head-men, to assemble; and he took Paul, and brought him down, and placed him among them.
