Acts 22
1 Brethren and fathers! Hear ye, the defence, which I now make unto you: —
"Brethren and fathers," he said, "listen to my defence which I now make before you."
2 And, when they heard that, in the Hebrew language, he had begun to address them, they kept the more quiet. And he saith—
And on hearing him address them in Hebrew, they kept all the more quiet; and he said,
3 I, am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but nurtured in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, —trained after the strictness of our ancestral law; being jealous for God just as, all ye, are this day;
"I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I was carefully trained at the feet of Gamaliel in the Law of our forefathers, and, like all of you to-day, was zealous for God.
4 and, this way, I persecuted unto the death, binding and delivering up into prisons both men and women: —
I persecuted to death this new faith, continually binding both men and women and throwing them into prison;
5 as, even the High-priest, beareth me witness, and all the Eldership, —from whom, letters also, accepting to the brethren, unto Damascus, was I journeying, to bring them who were there bound unto Jerusalem, that they might be punished.
as the High Priest also and all the Elders can bear me witness. It was, too, from them that I received letters to the brethren in Damascus, and I was already on my way to Damascus, intending to bring those also who had fled there, in chains to Jerusalem, to be punished.
6 But it befell me, as I was journeying and drawing nigh unto Damascus, that, about mid-day—suddenly—out of heaven, there flashed a great light all around me;
"But on my way, when I was now not far from Damascus, about noon a sudden blaze of light from Heaven shone round me.
7 I fell also to the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me—Saul! Saul! Why, me, art thou persecuting?
I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, "'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'
8 And, I, answered—Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me—I, am Jesus the Nazarene, whom, thou, art persecuting!
"'Who art thou, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus, the Nazarene,' He replied, 'whom you are persecuting.'
9 Now, they who were with me, beheld, indeed, the light, but heard not, the voice, of him that was speaking with me
"Now the men who were with me, though they saw the light, did not hear the words of Him who spoke to me.
10 And said—What shall I do, Lord? And, the Lord, said unto me—Arise, and be going thy way into Damascus, and, there, shall it be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
And I asked, "'What am I to do, Lord?' "And the Lord said to me, "'Rise, and go into Damascus. There you shall be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.'
11 But, as I could not see clearly owing to the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them who were with me, I came into Damascus.
"And as I could not see because the light had been so dazzling, those who were with me had to lead me by the arm, and so I came to Damascus.
12 And, one Ananias, a man devout according to the law, well-attested by all the Jews that dwelt there,
"And a certain Ananias, a pious man who obeyed the Law and bore a good character with all the Jews of the city,
13 coming unto me, and standing over me, said—Saul, brother! look up. And, I, in that very hour, looked up on him.
came to me and standing at my side said, "'Brother Saul, recover your sight.' "I instantly regained my sight and looked up at him.
14 And he said—The God of our fathers, hath chosen thee to get to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, —and to hear a voice out of his mouth.
Then he said, 'The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the righteous One and hear Him speak.
15 Because thou shalt be a witness to him unto all men, of the things which thou hast seen and heard.
For you shall be a witness for Him, to all men, of what you have seen and heard.
16 And, now, what art thou going to do? Arise, and get thyself immersed, and have thy sins bathed away, calling upon his name.
And now why delay? Rise, get yourself baptized, and wash off your sins, calling upon His name.'
17 And it came to pass, when had returned unto Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I came to be in a trance,
"After my return to Jerusalem, and while praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance.
18 and saw him, saying unto me—Haste thee, and go forth speedily out of Jerusalem, inasmuch as they will not accept thy witness concerning me.
I saw Jesus, and He said to me, "'Make haste and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'
19 And, I, said—Lord! they themselves, well know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue them who were believing on thee.
"'Lord,' I replied, 'they themselves well know how active I was in imprisoning, and in flogging in synagogue after synagogue those who believe in Thee;
20 And, when the blood of Stephen thy witness was being shed, even I myself, was standing by, and approving, and guarding the mantles of them who were slaying him.
and when they were shedding the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, I was standing by, fully approving of it, and I held the clothes of those who were killing him.'
21 And he said unto me—Be taking thy journey; because, I, unto nations afar off, will send thee.
"'Go,' He replied; 'I will send you as an Apostle to nations far away.'"
22 And they hearkened unto him as far as this word, and lifted up their voice, saying—Away from the earth, with such a man as this, for it is not fit that he should live.
Until they heard this last statement the people listened to Paul, but now with a roar of disapproval they cried out, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He ought not to be allowed to live."
23 Now, as they were both making an outcry and tearing their mantles, —dust, also were throwing into the air,
And when they continued their furious shouts, throwing their clothes into the air and flinging dust about,
24 the captain ordered him to be brought into the castle, saying, that, with scourging, he should be put to the test, —that he might find out, for what cause they were, thus, clamouring against him.
the Tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and be examined by flogging, in order to ascertain the reason why they thus cried out against him.
25 But, when they had stretched him out with straps, Paul said unto the by-standing centurion—A Roman, and uncondemned, is it allowed you to be scourging?
But, when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul said to the Captain who stood by, "Does the Law permit you to flog a Roman citizen--and one too who is uncondemned?"
26 And, when the centurion heard [that], he went unto the captain, and reported, saying—What art thou going to do? For, this man, is, a Roman?
On hearing this question, the Captain went to report the matter to the Tribune. "What are you intending to do?" he said. "This man is a Roman citizen."
27 And the captain, coming up, said to him—Tell me! Art, thou, a, Roman? And, he, said—Yea!
So the Tribune came to Paul and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.
28 And the captain answered—I, for a large sum, this citizenship acquired! And, Paul, said—But, I, am even, [free-] born!
"I paid a large sum for my citizenship," said the Tribune. "But I was born free," said Paul.
29 Straightway, therefore, they who were about to put him to the test, withdrew from him; and, even the captain, was struck with fear, when he found out he was, a Roman, and because, him, he had bound.
So the men who had been on the point of putting him under torture immediately left him. And the Tribune, too, was frightened when he learnt that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound.
30 But, on the morrow, being minded to get to know the certainty as to why he was being accused by the Jews, he released him, and ordered the High-priests and all the High-council to come together; and, bringing down Paul, set him before them.
The next day, wishing to know exactly what charge was being brought against him by the Jews, the Tribune ordered his chains to be removed; and, having sent word to the High Priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble, he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
