Acts 22

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

Men, brothers, and fathers, hear now my defense to you.

2 When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,

And having heard that he called out to them in the Hebrew language, they offered more silence. And he says,

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

I am indeed a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but reared in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, reared accurately in the paternal law, being a zealot of God, as ye all are today.

4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

And I persecuted this Way as far as death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 as also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

As also the high priest testifies about me, and all the senior council, from whom also having received letters to the brothers in Damascus, I was going to bring bound even those who were there to Jerusalem so that they might be punished.

6 “As I made my journey and came close to Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky.

And there happened to me, while going and approaching Damascus about noon, suddenly to flash forth from heaven a great light around me.

7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying 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 do thou persecute me?

8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’

And I answered, Who are thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou persecute.

9 “Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me.

And those who were with me indeed saw the light and became afraid, but they heard not the voice of him who spoke to me.

10 I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, After rising, go into Damascus, and there it will be told thee about all things that have been assigned for thee to do.

11 When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

And as I was not seeing from the splendor of that light, I came into Damascus, being led by hand by those who accompanied me.

12 “One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

And a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report by all the Jews who dwell there,

13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him.

having come near me, and having stood by, he said to me, Brother Saul, look up. And I looked up on him the same hour.

14 He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

And he said, The God of our fathers appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous Man, and to hear a voice from his mouth,

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

because thou will be a witness for him to all men of the things that thou have seen and heard.

16 Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

And now what is it going to be? Having arisen, immerse and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance

And it came to pass, my having returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, for me to became in a trance.

18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’

And I saw him saying to me, Hurry and depart in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept thy testimony about me.

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

And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those who believe in thee.

20 When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’

And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I myself also was standing by, and approving his killing, and keeping the garments of those who killed him.

21 “He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”

And he said to me, Depart, because I will send thee far away to Gentiles.

22 They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice and said, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”

And they heard him until this word. And they lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a man from the earth, for he is not fit to live.

23 As they cried out, threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,

And of them crying out, and throwing off their garments, and casting dust into the air,

24 the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that.

the chief captain commanded him be brought into the fort, having said to examine him by scourging, so that he might know for what reason they shouted against him this way.

25 When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”

And as they stretched him out with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it permitted for you to scourge a Roman man, and uncondemned?

26 When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!”

And when the centurion heard, having come to the chief captain, he reported, saying, Look! What are thou about to do? For this man is a Roman.

27 The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

And the chief captain having come, he said to him, Tell me if thou are a Roman. And he said, Yes.

28 The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”

And the chief captain answered, Of a great sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But then I was born so.

29 Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

Straightaway therefore those who were about to examine him withdrew from him. And the chief captain was also afraid when he learned that he was a Roman, and because he was who bound him.

30 But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

But on the morrow, wanting to know the certainty of why he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to come. And having brought Paul down, he set him before them.