Acts 22

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

Ye men, brethren and Fathers, heare my defence nowe towards 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 spake in the Hebrewe tongue to them, they kept the more silence, and he sayd)

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 verely a man, which am a Iew, borne in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought vp in this citie at the feete of Gamaliel, and instructed according to the perfect maner of the Lawe of the Fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

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

And I persecuted this way vnto the death, binding and deliuering into prison 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 ye chiefe Priest doeth beare me witnes, and al the company of the Elders: of whom also I receiued letters vnto the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring them which were there, bound vnto Hierusalem, that they might 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 so it was, as I iourneyed and was come neere vnto Damascus about noone, that suddenly there shone from heauen a great light round about me.

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

So I fell vnto the earth, and heard a voyce, saying vnto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou mee?

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

Then I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Iesus 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.

Moreouer they that were with me, sawe in deede a light and were afraide: but they heard not the voyce of him that spake vnto 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.'

Then I sayd, What shall I doe, Lord? And the Lord sayde vnto me, Arise, and goe into Damascus: and there it shall be tolde thee of all things, which are appointed for thee to doe.

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.

So when I could not see for the glory of that light, I was led by the hand of them that were with me, and came into 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 godly man, as perteining to the Lawe, hauing good report of all the Iewes which dwelt there,

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

Came vnto me, and stoode, and sayd vnto me, Brother Saul, receiue thy sight: and that same houre I looked vpon 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.

And he sayd, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee, that thou shouldest knowe his wil, and shouldest see that Iust one, and shouldest heare the voyce of 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 witnes vnto all men, of the things which thou hast seene and heard.

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

Now therefore why tariest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sinnes, in calling on 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.

And it came to passe, that when I was come againe to Hierusalem, and prayed in the Temple, I was in a traunce,

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 vnto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Hierusalem: for they will not receiue thy witnes concerning me.

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

Then I sayd, Lord, they know that I prisoned, and beat in euery Synagogue them that beleeued 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 thy martyr Steuen was shed, I also stood by, and consented vnto his death, and kept the clothes of them that slew him.

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

Then he sayd vnto me, Depart: for I will send thee farre hence vnto 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.”

And they heard him vnto this worde, but then they lift vp their voyces, and sayd, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not meete that he should liue.

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

And as they cried and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the aire,

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 chiefe captaine commanded him to be led into the castle, and bade that he should be scourged, and examined, that he might knowe wherefore they cryed so on 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 as they bound him with thongs, Paul sayd vnto the Centurion that stood by, Is it lawfull for you to scourge one that is a Romane, and not condemned?

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.”

Nowe when the Centurion heard it, hee went, and tolde the chiefe captaine, saying, Take heede what thou doest: for this man is a Romane.

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

Then the chiefe captaine came, and sayd to him, Tel me, art thou a Romane? And 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 chiefe captaine answered, With a great summe obtained I this freedome. Then Paul sayd, But I was so borne.

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.

Then straightway they departed from him, which should haue examined him: and the chiefe captaine also was afrayd, after he knewe that hee was a Romane, and that 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.

On the next day, because hee would haue knowen the certaintie wherefore he was accused of the Iewes, he loosed him from his bonds, and commanded the hie Priests and all their Councill to come together: and he brought Paul, and set him before them.