Acts 22

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

“Brother and fathers,” he said, “Please listen as I give my defense before you.”

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

When they heard him speaking to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.

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 a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia,” he began. “However, I was brought up here in this city, and sat at the feet of Gamaliel. I was taught to strictly observe the law of our fathers. I was zealous for God, just like all of you here today,

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

and I persecuted the people of this Way—having them put to death, and imprisoning 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 the high priest and the council of the elders can also verify, I received from them letters of authorization addressed to the Jewish brothers in Damascus, and went there to arrest these people and bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem to 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.

At around noon, while I was on my way and approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven shone all around me.

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

I fell to the ground, and I 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 persecute.’

‘Who are you, Lord?’ I answered. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting,’ he told me.

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.

Those who were traveling with me did see the light, but they didn't hear the voice that 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.’

‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you'll be told everything that's arranged for you 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.

Since I couldn't see because of the brightness of the light, those who were with me led me by the hand into Damascus.

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

There a man called Ananias came to see me. He was a religious man who observed the law, and was highly respected by the Jews who lived in the town.

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.

He stood in front of me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive back your sight.’ At that very moment I could see again, and I looked at him.

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.

He told me, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, to see the one who is truly good and right, and to listen to what he has to say to you.

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

You will testify for him to everyone about what you have seen and heard. So what are you waiting for?

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

Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins as you call on his name.’

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

I returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the Temple, I fell into 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.’

I saw a vision of the Lord telling me, ‘Hurry! You need to leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept what you are telling them about me.’

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

I replied, ‘Lord, they certainly know that I went from synagogue to synagogue, beating and imprisoning those who trusted in you.

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.’

When Stephen was killed for testifying about you I was standing there in full agreement with those who killed him, holding their coats for them.’

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

The Lord told me, ‘Leave now, for I am sending you far away to the foreigners.’”

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!”

Up until this point they had listened to what he was saying, but then they started shouting, “Get rid of this man from the earth—he doesn't deserve to live!”

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

They screamed and tore off their coats and threw 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 commander ordered Paul brought into the fortress, and gave orders for him to be interrogated by flogging so he could find out the reason people were shouting so much against Paul.

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?”

As they stretched him out and tied him down to flog him, Paul asked the centurion standing there, “Is it legal to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't had a trial?”

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!”

When the centurion heard what Paul said, he went to the commander and asked him, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen.”

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

The commander came, and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” Paul replied, “Yes I am.”

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

“I paid a lot of money to buy Roman citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

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.

Those who were about to interrogate Paul left immediately. The commander was worried when he found out that Paul was a Roman citizen because he had placed him in chains.

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.

The next day, wanting to find out the reason why the Jews were accusing Paul, he had him released and taken before the chief priests and the whole council which he ordered to assemble. He had Paul brought down and placed him before them.