Acts 22

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

“Men, brothers and fathers, listen to my defense before you now.”

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

When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet, and he said:

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.

“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, just as you all are today.

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

I persecuted this Way to the 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 also the high priest and all the council of elders can bear me witness. I even obtained letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, to bring those also who were there bound 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.

Now it happened, as I was going and approaching Damascus, about noon, suddenly a strong light from heaven shone around me.

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

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

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

So I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Natsorean, whom you are persecuting.’

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

Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not understand the voice of the One speaking to 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.'

So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about all that has been appointed to you to 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 since I could not see, because of the brightness of that light, I entered Damascus being led by the hand of those who were with me.

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.

Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

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

came to me, and standing by me said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I looked up at 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.

Then he said: ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from His mouth.

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

For you shall be a witness for Him to all men of the things that you have seen and heard.

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

And now, why hesitate? Get up, be baptized and wash away your sins, invoking the name of the Lord.’

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

“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I came to be 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 to me, ‘Hurry up and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive your testimony concerning me.’

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

So I said: ‘Lord, they know that I used to imprison and beat those believing into you, from one synagogue to another;

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 your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing there and agreeing to his murder, even guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

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

And He said to me, ‘Get going, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

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.”

Well they kept listening to him until this statement, and then they raised their voice and shouted, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for it isn't fitting for him to live!”

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

As they were shouting, tearing off clothes and throwing 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 commander ordered him to be taken into the barracks, directing that he be interrogated with lashes, in order to learn for what crime they kept shouting against him like that.

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?”

But as they stretched him out with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who 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.”

Well when the centurion heard that, he went and reported to the commander saying, “Consider what you are about to do, because this man is a Roman!”

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

So the commander went and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” So he said, “Yes.”

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.”

The commander replied, “I acquired this citizenship at considerable cost.” And Paul said, “But I was so born.”

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.

So those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately; and even the commander was apprehensive when he realized that he had put chains on a Roman.

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 the next day, desiring to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds and ordered the chief priests and all their council to come, and brought Paul down and set him before them.