Acts 22

1 Brethren and fathers, hear my apology, which I make to you now.

2 And when they heard, that he addressed them in the Hebrew dialect, they rather kept silence;

3 and he said, I am, indeed, a Jew, born at Tarsus, in Cilicia, but educated in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, accurately instructed in the law of our fathers; being zealous for God, as you all are at this day:

4 who persecuted this way to the death; binding both men and women, and delivering them into prisons:

5 as also the high priest is my witness, and all the national senate: from whom also having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus; to bring those that were there bound, to Jerusalem, that they might be punished.

6 And it came to pass, that as I was on my journey, and was come nigh to Damascus, about noon, on a sudden a great light from heaven shone about me;

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

8 But I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you persecute.

9 And they that were with me saw the light, indeed, and were terrified; but they did not distinctly hear the voice of him that spoke to me.

10 And I said, Lord, what shall I do? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told you of all things, which are appointed for you to do.

11 And as I could not see, by reason of the glory of that light; being led by those that were with me, I came to Damascus.

12 And one Ananias, a pious man according to the law, who had an honorable character amongst all the Jews at Damascus,

13 coming to me, and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, look up. And in that very hour, I looked up on him.

14 And he said, The God of our fathers, has chosen you to know his will, and to see that righteous person, and to hear a voice from his mouth:

15 because you shall be his witness, to all men, of those things, which you have seen and heard.

16 And now, why do you delay? Arise, and be immersed, and wash away your sins, invoking his name.

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

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

19 And I said, Lord, they know I was imprisoning, and scourging in the synagogues, them that believed in thee;

20 and when the blood of Stephen thy martyr was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting, and kept the garments of those who slew him.

21 And he said to me, Go your way, for I will send you afar off to the Gentiles--

22 And they heard him to this word, and they lifted up their voices, saying, Away with this fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live.

23 And as they were crying out, and were rending their garments, and casting dust into the air,

24 the commander ordered that he should be brought into the castle, saying, that he should be put to the question by scourging, that he might know for what cause, they raised such an outcry against him.

25 And as they binding him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion, who stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man, who is Roman, and uncondemned.

26 And the centurion hearing this, went and addressed the commander, saying, What are you about to do? for this man is a Roman.

27 And the commander came, and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? And he said, Yes.

28 And the commander answered, I obtained this freedom with a considerable sum of money. And Paul replied, But I was free born.

29 They, therefore, who were about to have put him to the question, immediately departed from him: and the commander was afraid, when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

30 And on the next day, desiring to know certainly of what he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him; and commanded the chief priests, and all the Sanhedrim, to come together; and bringing Paul down, he set him before them.