Acts 22

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

Men, brothers, and fathers, hear you my defense which I make now to 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 in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he says, )

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 truly 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 you 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 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 does bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound to Jerusalem, for 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, that, as I made my journey, and was come near to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven 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?'

And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecute you 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 are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.

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, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spoke 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.'

And I said, What shall I do, LORD? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told you of all things which are appointed for 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 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 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 devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelled there,

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 stood, and said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And the same hour I looked up on 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 said, The God of our fathers has chosen you, that you should know his will, and see that Just One, and should hear the voice of 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 his witness to all men of what 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 tarry you? arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, 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 pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, 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 to me, Make haste, and get you quickly out of Jerusalem: for 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.

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

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 martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

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

And he said to me, Depart: for I will send you far hence 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.”

And they gave him audience to 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 As they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and throwing dust into the air,

And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw 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 chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know why they cried so 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 as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to whip 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.”

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

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

Then the chief captain came, and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? 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.”

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

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 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 morrow, because he would have known the certainty why 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.