Acts 22
1 Brethren, and Fathers, hear now my apology to you,
“Brother and fathers,” he said, “Please listen as I give my defense before you.”
2 ---(and when they heard that he spake to them in the Hebrew dialect, they the more readily kept silence, and he said, )
When they heard him speaking to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.
3 ---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 ye all are this day.
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia,” he began. “However, I was brought up here in this city, and sat at the feet of Gamaliel. I was taught to strictly observe the law of our fathers. I was zealous for God, just like all of you here today,
4 And I persecuted those of this persuasion even unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
and I persecuted the people of this Way—having them put to death, and imprisoning both men and women.
5 As the high priest is my witness, and all the elders: from whom I received letters to our brethren, and went to Damascus to bring those also, that were there, bound to Jerusalem, to be punished.
As the high priest and the council of the elders can also verify, I received from them letters of authorization addressed to the Jewish brothers in Damascus, and went there to arrest these people and bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 And it came to pass that as I was on my journey and drew nigh to Damascus, about mid-day, on a sudden a great light from heaven shone round about me:
At around noon, while I was on my way and approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven shone all around me.
7 and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
I fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying 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 of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
‘Who are you, Lord?’ I answered. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting,’ he told me.
9 And they that were with me saw the light indeed, and were affrighted; but they did not hear the voice of Him that spake to me.
Those who were traveling with me did see the light, but they didn't hear the voice that spoke to me.
10 And I said, Lord, what shall I do? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which are appointed for thee to do.
‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you'll be told everything that's arranged for you to do.’
11 And as I could not see by reason of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those that were with me, I came to Damascus.
Since I couldn't see because of the brightness of the light, those who were with me led me by the hand into Damascus.
12 And one Ananias, a devout observer of the law, who had a good character from all the Jews that dwelt there,
There a man called Ananias came to see me. He was a religious man who observed the law, and was highly respected by the Jews who lived in the town.
13 came to me, and stood by me, and said, Brother Saul, look up: and I immediately looked up upon him.
He stood in front of me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive back your sight.’ At that very moment I could see again, and I looked at him.
14 And he said, The God of our Fathers hath before appointed thee to know his will, and to see the just One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
He told me, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, to see the one who is truly good and right, and to listen to what he has to say to you.
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men, of what thou hast seen and heard.
You will testify for him to everyone about what you have seen and heard. So what are you waiting for?
16 And now why shouldst thou delay? Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.
Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins as you call on his name.’
17 And when I was returned to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, I was in a trance.
I returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance.
18 And I saw Him saying unto me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
I saw a vision of the Lord telling me, ‘Hurry! You need to leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept what you are telling them about me.’
19 And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and scourged in the synagogues them that believed on Thee.
I replied, ‘Lord, they certainly know that I went from synagogue to synagogue, beating and imprisoning those who trusted in you.
20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also stood by and consented to his death, and kept the clothes of them that slew him.
When Stephen was killed for testifying about you I was standing there in full agreement with those who killed him, holding their coats for them.’
21 But he said unto me, Go away; for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.---
The Lord told me, ‘Leave now, for I am sending you far away to the foreigners.’”
22 And they heard him to this word, and then they exalted their voice, saying, Away with such a fellow from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.
Up until this point they had listened to what he was saying, but then they started shouting, “Get rid of this man from the earth—he doesn't deserve to live!”
23 And as they were bawling out, and throwing off their clothes, and casting up dust into the air,
They screamed and tore off their coats and threw dust into the air.
24 the tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and ordered him to be put to the question by scourging; that he might know for what reason they so cried out against him.
The commander ordered Paul brought into the fortress, and gave orders for him to be interrogated by flogging so he could find out the reason people were shouting so much against Paul.
25 And as they were binding him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, uncondemned?
As they stretched him out and tied him down to flog him, Paul asked the centurion standing there, “Is it legal to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't had a trial?”
26 And the centurion hearing this, went and told the tribune, saying, Consider what thou art about to do; for this man is a Roman.
When the centurion heard what Paul said, he went to the commander and asked him, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen.”
27 Then the tribune came and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes.
The commander came, and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” Paul replied, “Yes I am.”
28 And the tribune replied, I obtained this freedom with a large sum of money. And Paul said, But I was free-born.
“I paid a lot of money to buy Roman citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 Immediately therefore those who were going to put him to the question quitted him: and the tribune also was afraid, when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
Those who were about to interrogate Paul left immediately. The commander was worried when he found out that Paul was a Roman citizen because he had placed him in chains.
30 And on the morrow, desiring to know for certain what he was accused of by the Jews, he loosed him from his bonds, and ordered the chief priests and all their council to attend; and he brought down Paul, and set him before them:
The next day, wanting to find out the reason why the Jews were accusing Paul, he had him released and taken before the chief priests and the whole council which he ordered to assemble. He had Paul brought down and placed him before them.
