Acts 22

1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense which I will now make to you.”

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye the account which I now give unto you.

2 When the crowd heard Paul speak to them in the Hebrew language, they became quiet. He said,

(And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence.)

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel. I was instructed according to the strict ways of the law of our fathers. I am zealous for God, just as all of you are today.

And he saith: I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, as also all you are this day:

4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding up and delivering them to prison both men and women,

Who persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 as the high priest and all the elders can bear witness. I received letters from them for the brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring them back in bonds to Jerusalem in order for them to be punished.

As the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the ancients: from whom also receiving letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus, that I might bring them bound from thence to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 It happened that when I was traveling and nearing Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light from heaven began to shine around me.

And it came to pass, as I was going, and drawing nigh to Damascus at midday, that suddenly from heaven there shone round about me a great light:

7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

And falling on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

8 I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'

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

9 Those who were with me saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who spoke to me.

And they that were with me, saw indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spoke with me.

10 I said, 'What should I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus; there you will be told everything that you must do.'

And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise, and go to Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things that thou must do.

11 I could not see because of that light's brightness, and being led by the hands of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

And whereas I did not see for the brightness of that light, being led by the hand by my companions, I came to Damascus.

12 There I met a man named Ananias, a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there.

And one Ananias, a man according to the law, having testimony of all the Jews who dwelt there,

13 He came to me, stood by me, and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' In that very hour I saw him.

Coming to me, and standing by me, said to me: Brother Saul, look up. And I the same hour looked upon him.

14 Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the voice coming from his own mouth.

But he said: The God of our fathers hath preordained thee that thou shouldst know his will, and see the Just One, and shouldst hear the voice from his mouth.

15 For you shall be a witness for him to all men about what you have seen and heard.

For thou shalt be his witness to all men, of those things which thou hast seen and heard.

16 Now why are you waiting? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'

And now why tarriest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, invoking his name.

17 After I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, it happened that I was given a vision.

And it came to pass, when I was come again to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance,

18 I saw him say to me, 'Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'

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

19 I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you in every synagogue.

And I said: Lord, they know that I cast into prison, and beat in every synagogue, them that believed in thee.

20 When the blood of Stephen your witness was spilled, I also was standing by and agreeing, and I was guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.'

And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I stood by and consented, and kept the garments of them that killed him.

21 But he said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'”

And he said to me: Go, for unto the Gentiles afar off, will I send thee.

22 They listened to him until he said this. Then they shouted and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not right that he should live.”

And they heard him until this word, and then lifted up their voice, saying: Away with such an one from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.

23 As they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and throwing dust into the air,

And as they cried out and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,

24 the chief captain commanded Paul to be brought into the fortress. He ordered that he should be questioned with scourging, so that he himself might know why they were shouting against him like that.

The tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and that he should be scourged and tortured: to know for what cause they did so cry out against him.

25 When they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and who has not been put on trial?”

And when they had bound him with thongs, Paul saith to the centurion that stood by him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”

Which the centurion hearing, went to the tribune, and told him, saying: What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.

27 The chief captain came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” Paul said, “Yes.”

And the tribune coming, said to him: Tell me, art thou a Roman? But he said: Yea.

28 The chief captain answered, “It was only with a large amount of money that I acquired citizenship.” But Paul said, “I was born a Roman citizen.”

And the tribune answered: I obtained the being free of this city with a great sum. And Paul said: But I was born so.

29 Then the men who were going to question him left him immediately. The chief captain also was afraid, when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, because he had tied him up.

Immediately therefore they departed from him that were about to torture him. The tribune also was afraid after he understood that he was a Roman citizen, and because he had bound him.

30 On the next day, the chief captain wanted to know the truth about the Jews' accusations against Paul. So he untied his bonds and ordered the chief priests and all the council to meet. Then he brought Paul down and placed him in their midst.

But on the next day, meaning to know more diligently for what cause he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the priests to come together, and all the council: and bringing forth Paul, he set him before them.