Acts 22

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

"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make in your presence."

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 in Hebrew they became the more 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," he said, "born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strict manner of the Law of our forefathers, ardent for God, even as you all are this day.

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

"I persecuted to the death this way, continually binding and delivering up to 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.

"To this the high priest and all the council of elders are witnesses. It was from them that I received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was already on my way to bring those also who were there back to Jerusalem, in bonds, for punishment.

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

"But when, on my journey, I was nearing Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone round about 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 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 asked. "‘I am Jesus, the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting,’ he answered 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.

"Now my companions, though they beheld the light, did not hear the words 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, ‘Rise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about all that you are destined 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 seeing nothing for the glory of the light, I was led by the hand of my companions, and so came into Damascus.

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 pious man according to the Law, well thought of by all the Jews who lived 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.

"came to me, and standing by me, said to me, "‘Brother Saul, receive your sight’ "In that very hour I regained my sight and looked up 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.

"Then he said. "‘The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know his will; and to see the righteous One, 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.

"‘For before the face of all men you will be a witness for him of what you 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 why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling upon his name.’

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

"After my return to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple,

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 fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, "‘Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive your testimony concerning me.’

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

"‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘they themselves well know that I was beating and imprisoning in synagogue after synagogue those who believed 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.’

"‘and when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting, and holding the garments of his murders.’

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

"‘Depart,’ he said to me, ‘for I will send you forth, far hence, to the 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!”

Until they heard this last statement, the people were listening to Paul, but now they roared out. "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is not fit to live!"

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

When they continued to shout, throwing their clothes into the air, and flinging dust around,

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 tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and examined under the lash, to learn for what reason the people were thus crying out against him.

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?”

But when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing near, "If a man is a Roman citizen, and uncondemned, is it lawful for you to scourge him?"

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 that, he went to the tribune and said to him. "What are you intending to do? This man is a Roman citizen."

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

So the tribune came to Paul and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.

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

"I paid a large sum to get this citizenship," said the tribune. "But I was citizen-born," said Paul.

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.

Then those who were about to scourge him, immediately left him. And the tribune too, was afraid, when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound.

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, as he wished to learn the real reason why the Jews accused Paul, he unbound him, and commanded the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to come together, and brought Paul down, and placed him before them.