Acts 22

1 “Brothers and Father, listen to the defence which I am about to make.”

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear now my apology unto you.

2 When they heard that he was speaking to them in Hebrew, they were still more quiet; and Paul went on:

And hearing that he was speaking to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept silent the more.

3 “I am a Jew, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, but I was brought up in this city under the teaching of Gamaliel, and educated in accordance with the strict system of our ancestral Law. I was as zealous in God’s service as any of you who are here to-day.

And he says, I am Jewish man, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, having been brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the accuracy of patristic law, being a zealot of God, as you all are this day;

4 In my persecution of this Cause I did not stop even at the taking of life. I put in chains, and imprisoned, men and women alike —

who after this way persecuted unto death, binding and committing to prison both men and women;

5 And to that the High Priest himself and all the Council can testify. For I had letters of introduction from them to our fellow Jews at Damascus, and I was on my way to that place, to bring those whom I might find there prisoners to Jerusalem for punishment.

as the high priest also, and all the eldership, witnessed me: from whom having also received letters from the brethren in Damascus, I was on my way, being about to lead them also hither into Jerusalem bound, that they might be punished.

6 While I was still on my way, just as I was getting close to Damascus, about mid-day, suddenly there flashed from the heavens a great light all round me.

And it came to pass, while I was journeying, and nigh unto Damascus, a great light, about midday, suddenly shone from heaven around me;

7 I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

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

8 ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I replied. Then the voice said ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’

And I responded, Who art thou, Lord? And He said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou art persecuting.

9 The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the speaker’s voice.

And those being along with me saw the light indeed, but heard not the voice of the one speaking to me.

10 Then I said ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ The Lord said to me, ‘and there you shall be told all that you have been appointed to do.’

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rising up, go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which have been ordained for thee to do.

11 In consequence of that dazzling light I could not see, but my companions held me by the hand, till I reached Damascus.

And when I did not see on account of the glory of that light, and being led by the hand by those journeying with me, I came into Damascus.

12 There a man named Ananias, a strict observer of our Law, well spoken of by all the Jewish inhabitants, came to see me.

And a certain Ananias, a man godly according to the law, and of good report by all the Jews dwelling there,

13 Standing close to me, he said ‘Saul, my Brother, recover your sight.’ And then and there I recovered my sight and looked up at him.

having come to me, and standing over me, said, Brother Saul, look up. And I at that hour looked up unto him.

14 Then he said ‘The God of our ancestors has appointed you to learn his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from his lips;

And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee to know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice from His mouth;

15 for you shall be a witness for him to all the world of what you have just seen and heard.

because thou shalt be a witness for Him to all men of those things which thou hast seen and heard.

16 And now why wait any longer: Be baptized at once, wash away your sins, and invoke his Name.

And now why tarriest thou? arising, be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on His name.

17 After my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying one day in the Temple, I fell into a trance,

And it happened unto me, having returned into Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I was in an ecstasy;

18 and saw Jesus saying to me ‘Make haste and leave Jerusalem at once, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’

and I saw Him speaking to me, Hasten, and depart quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘these people know that I used to imprison and scourge, in Synagogue after Synagogue, those who believed in you;

And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and binding those believing on thee throughout the synagogue;

20 and, when the blood of your martyr, Stephen, was being shed, I was myself standing by, approving of his death, and took charge of the clothes of those who were murdering him.

and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of those killing him.

21 But Jesus said to me ‘Go; for I will send you to the Gentiles far away’.”

And He said to me, Go: because I will send thee far away to the Gentiles.

22 Up to this point the people had been listening to Paul, but at these words they called out: “Kill him! A fellow like this ought not to have been allowed to live!”

And they continued to hear him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Take away such a one from the earth: for it is not appropriate for him to live.

23 As they were shouting, tearing off their clothes, and throwing dust in the air,

And they crying out, and rending their garments, and throwing dust into the air,

24 the Commanding Officer ordered Paul to be taken into the Fort, and directed that he should be examined under the lash, that he might find out the reason for their outcry against him.

the chiliarch commanded that he should be led into the castle, saying that he should be tested by scourges, in order that he might know on account of what cause they continued so to cry out against him.

25 But just as they had tied him up to be scourged, Paul said to the Captain standing near: “Is it legal for you to scourge a Roman citizen, unconvicted?”

And when they were extending him to the scourges, Paul said to the centurion standing by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?

26 On hearing this, the Captain went and reported it to the Commanding Officer. “Do you know what you are doing?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

And the centurion hearing, having come to the chiliarch, announced to him, saying, What are you about to do? for this man is a Roman.

27 So the Commanding Officer went up to Paul and said: “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” replied Paul.

And the chiliarch, having come to him, said; Tell me, are you a Roman? And he said, Yes.

28 “I had to pay a heavy price for my position as citizen,” said the Officer. “I am one by birth,” rejoined Paul.

And the chiliarch responded, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was indeed born (a Roman citizen).

29 The men who were to have examined Paul immediately drew back, and the Officer, finding that Paul was a Roman citizen, was alarmed at having put him in chains.

Then immediately those about to scourge him departed from him: and the chiliarch also feared, knowing that he was a Roman, and that he had bound him.

30 On the next day the Commanding Officer, wishing to find out the real reason why Paul was denounced by the Jews, had his chains taken off, and directed the Chief Priests and the whole of the High Council to assemble, and then took Paul down and brought him before them.

And on the following day, wishing to know the certainty as to what he is accused of by the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the sanhedrin to come together, and leading down Paul, he placed him in their midst.