Acts 22

1 “Brother and fathers,” he said, “Please listen as I give my defense before you.”

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence [which I make] now unto you.

2 When they heard him speaking to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.

(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith, )

3 “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,

I am verily a man [which am] a Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

4 and I persecuted the people of this Way—having them put to death, and imprisoning both men and women.

And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 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.

As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

6 At around noon, while I was on my way and approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven shone all around me.

And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

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

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

8 ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I answered. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting,’ he told me.

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

9 Those who were traveling with me did see the light, but they didn't hear the voice that spoke to me.

And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

10 ‘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.’

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

11 Since I couldn't see because of the brightness of the light, those who were with me led me by the hand into Damascus.

And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

12 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.

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt [there],

13 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.

Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

14 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.

And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

15 You will testify for him to everyone about what you have seen and heard. So what are you waiting for?

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

16 Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins as you call on his name.’

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

17 I returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance.

And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

18 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.’

And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

19 I replied, ‘Lord, they certainly know that I went from synagogue to synagogue, beating and imprisoning those who trusted in you.

And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

20 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.’

And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

21 The Lord told me, ‘Leave now, for I am sending you far away to the foreigners.’”

And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

22 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!”

And they gave him audience unto this word, and [then] lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a [fellow] from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

23 They screamed and tore off their coats and threw dust into the air.

And as they cried out, and cast off [their] clothes, and threw dust into the air,

24 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.

The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

25 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?”

And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

26 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.”

When the centurion heard [that], he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

27 The commander came, and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” Paul replied, “Yes I am.”

Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

28 “I paid a lot of money to buy Roman citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was [free] born.

29 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.

Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

30 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.

On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from [his] bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.