Acts 22

1 'Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defence now unto you;' —

Brethren, and Fathers, hear now my apology to you,

2 and they having heard that in the Hebrew dialect he was speaking to them, gave the more silence, and he saith, —

---(and when they heard that he spake to them in the Hebrew dialect, they the more readily kept silence, and he said, )

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 exactitude of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all ye are to-day.

---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.

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

And I persecuted those of this persuasion even unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

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

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.

6 and it came to pass, in my going on and coming nigh to Damascus, about noon, suddenly out of the heaven there shone a great light round about me,

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:

7 I fell also to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?

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

8 'And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? and he said unto me, I am Jesus the Nazarene whom thou dost persecute —

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

9 and they who are with me the light did see, and became afraid, and the voice they heard not of him who is speaking to me —

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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 observer of the law, who had a good character from all the Jews that dwelt there,

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

came to me, and stood by me, and said, Brother Saul, look up: and I immediately looked up upon him.

14 and he said, The God of our fathers did choose thee 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 before appointed thee to know his will, and to see the just One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

15 because thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard;

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

16 and now, why tarriest thou? having risen, baptize thyself, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

And now why shouldst thou delay? Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling upon 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 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, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me;

And I saw Him saying unto me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

19 and I said, Lord, they — they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing on thee;

And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and scourged in the synagogues them that believed on Thee.

20 and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was being poured forth, I also was 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 stood by and consented to his death, and kept the clothes of them that slew him.

21 and he said unto me, Go, because to nations far off I will send thee.'

But he said unto me, Go away; for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.---

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

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.

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

And as they were bawling out, and throwing off their clothes, and casting up dust into the air,

24 the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, saying, 'By scourges let him be examined;' that he might know for what cause they were crying so against him.

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.

25 And as he was stretching him with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who was standing by, 'A man, a Roman, uncondemned — is it lawful to you to scourge;'

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?

26 and the centurion having heard, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, 'Take heed what thou art about to do, for this man is a Roman;'

And the centurion hearing this, went and told the tribune, saying, Consider what thou art about to do; for this man is a Roman.

27 and the chief captain having come near, said to him, 'Tell me, art thou a Roman?' and he said, 'Yes;'

Then the tribune came and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes.

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

And the tribune replied, I obtained this freedom with a large sum of money. And Paul said, But I was free-born.

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

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.

30 and on the morrow, intending to know the certainty wherefore he is accused by the Jews, he did loose him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their sanhedrim to come, and having brought down Paul, he set [him] before them.

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: