Acts 22

1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence [which I make] now unto you.

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

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

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

3 I am verily a man [which am] a Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner of the law 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 unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons 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 the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to 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 it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven 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 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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

8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus 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 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to 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 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

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 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I 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 devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews 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 unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon 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 said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice 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 witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

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

16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, 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 pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

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 unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony 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 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on 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 Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment 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 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

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

22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and [then] lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a [fellow] from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

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 out, and cast off [their] clothes, and threw dust into the air,

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

24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against 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 said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

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 When the centurion heard [that], he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

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 chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? 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 chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was [free] born.

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 have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because 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 morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from [his] bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, 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.