Acts 22

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

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense [which I make] now to you.

2 and they having heard that he was speaking to them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more silent, and he says,

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

3 “I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactness of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all you are today.

I am verily a man [who 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, being zealous towards God, as ye all are this day.

4 And this Way I persecuted to death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women,

And I persecuted this way even to death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 as also the chief priest testifies to me, and all the eldership; from whom also having received letters to the brothers, to Damascus, I was going on, to bring also those there bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished,

As also the high priest doth bear me testimony, and all the estate of the elders; from whom also I received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them who were there bound to Jerusalem, to be punished.

6 and it came to pass, in my going on and coming near to Damascus, about noon, suddenly out of Heaven there shone a great light around me;

And it came to pass, that as I was passing on my journey, and had come nigh to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light around me.

7 I also fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?

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

8 And I answered, Who are You, Lord? And He said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene whom you persecute—

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

9 and they who are with me saw the light, and became afraid, and they did not hear the voice of Him who is speaking to me—

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

10 and I said, What will I do, Lord? And the LORD said to me, Having risen, go on to Damascus, and there it will be told you concerning all things that have been appointed for you to do.

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which are appointed for thee to do.

11 And when I did not see from the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who are with me, I came to Damascus,

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.

12 and a certain one, Ananias, a pious man according to the Law, being testified to by all the Jews dwelling [there],

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews who dwelt [there],

13 having come to me and stood by [me], said to me, Saul, brother, look up; and the same hour I looked up to him;

Came to me, and stood, and said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

14 and he said, The God of our fathers chose you beforehand to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice out of His mouth,

And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth.

15 because you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard;

For thou shalt be his witness to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

16 and now, why do you linger? Having risen, immerse yourself, and wash away your sins, calling on the Name of the LORD.

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

17 And it came to pass, when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance,

And it came to pass, that when I had come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

18 and I saw Him saying to me, Hurry and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive your testimony concerning Me;

And saw him saying to me, Make haste, and depart quickly from Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

19 and I said, LORD, they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging those believing on You in every synagogue;

And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

20 and when the blood of your witness Stephen was being poured forth, I was also standing by and assenting to his death, and keeping the garments of those putting him to death;

And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

21 and He said to me, Go, because I will send you to far-off nations.”

And he said to me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence to the Gentiles.

22 And they were hearing him to this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, “Away from the earth with such a one; for it is not fit for him to live.”

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

23 And they crying out and casting up their garments, and throwing dust into the air,

And as they cried out, and cast off [their] clothes, and threw dust into the air,

24 the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the stronghold, saying, “Let him be examined by scourges,” that he might know for what cause they were crying so against him.

The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know for what cause they cried so against him.

25 And as he was stretching him with the straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful to you to scourge a man, a Roman, uncondemned?”

And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

26 And the centurion having heard, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, “Take heed what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman”;

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

27 and the chief captain having come near, said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes”;

Then the chief captain came, and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yes.

28 and the chief captain answered, “I, with a great sum, obtained this citizenship”; but Paul said, “But I have even been born [so].”

And the chief captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, But I was [free] born.

29 Immediately, therefore, they departed from him, those being about to examine him, and the chief captain was also afraid, having learned that he is a Roman, and because he had bound him,

Then forthwith they departed from him who were about to examine him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

30 and the next day, intending to know the certainty for what reason he is accused by the Jews, he loosed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their Sanhedrin to come, and having brought down Paul, he set [him] before them.

On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty why he was accused by 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.