Acts 22

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

Brethren and fathers, hear my defence, which I now make to you.

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

And on hearing him speak to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence. And he saith:

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 Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, hut brought up in this city, taught at the feet of Gamaliel in the strictness of the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye all are this day.

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

And I persecuted this way [[of belief]] even to death, binding and putting 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 beareth me witness, and all the elderhood; from whom I received letters to the brethren, and was on my way to Damascus to bring those also that were there, bound, to Jerusalem, 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.

But it came to pass, as I was on my way, and approaching Damascus, that about noon there suddenly shone around me a great light from heaven;

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 dost 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 art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou persecutest.

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 they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but the voice of him that spoke to me they did not hear.

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, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there thou wilt be told of all which it hath been appointed 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 could not see by reason of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand of those that were with me, and came into Damascus.

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

But one Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, well spoken of by all the Jews who dwelt 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 over me said, Brother Saul, receive sight. And I immediately looked up upon 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.

And he said, The God of our fathers chose thee 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 thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast 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 dost thou delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.

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

And it came to pass after my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying in the temple, that 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.’

and saw him saying to me, Make haste, and go quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning 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 imprisoned, and beat in every synagogue, those that believed 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 was standing by and consenting, and keeping the garments of those who slew 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; for I will send thee 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!”

And they listened to him as far as this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth! for it was not fit that he should live.

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

And as they were crying out, and shaking their garments, and throwing 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 ordered him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might ascertain for what cause they 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 stretched him out with the cords, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, 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!”

When the centurion heard this, he went and told the chief captain, saying, What art 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.”

Then the chief captain came and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yes.

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

The chief captain answered, For a great sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was born a Roman.

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.

They therefore who were about to examine him left him immediately. And the chief captain also was alarmed when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had 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.

On the morrow, wishing to have certain knowledge why he was accused by the Jews, he released him, and ordered the chief priests and all the council to assemble; and bringing Paul down, he set him before them.