Acts 22

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

“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense 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,

When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. Then he said,

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 Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel and instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today.

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

I persecuted this Way to the death, binding both men and women and putting them in prison,

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 can testify about me, along with the whole council of elders. From them I received letters to the brothers in Damascus and then made my way there to make arrests and bring the prisoners back 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.

“About noon, as I was going along and drawing near to Damascus, a great light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.

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

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

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

I answered, ‘Who are yoʋ, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom yoʋ are persecuting.’

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 with me saw the light and were afraid, but they did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking 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.’

Then I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Rise and go to Damascus, and there yoʋ will be told about all that has been appointed for yoʋ 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.

But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus.

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

“Now a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who was well spoken of by all the Jews dwelling 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 and stood beside me. He said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive yoʋr sight,’ and in that very hour I received my sight and saw 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 fathers has appointed yoʋ to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the voice coming from his mouth.

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

For yoʋ will be his witness to all people of what yoʋ 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 yoʋ delay? Rise and be baptized, and wash away yoʋr sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.’

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

“When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at 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.’

and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not accept yoʋr testimony about me.’

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

So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe in yoʋ.

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 yoʋr witness Stephen was being shed, I myself stood there approving of his execution as I watched over the cloaks of those who were killing him.’

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

Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send yoʋ far away 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!”

The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement, but then they lifted up their voices and said, “Away with this man from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.”

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

As they were crying out, throwing off their cloaks and flinging 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 to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out the reason why they were shouting at him in 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?”

But as one of the soldiers was stretching Paul out with the straps, Paul said to the centurion standing nearby, “Is it lawful for you to whip a Roman citizen without a proper 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 this, he went and reported it to the commander, saying, “Consider what yoʋ are about to do, for 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 commander went over and said to Paul, “Tell me, are yoʋ a Roman citizen?” 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 commander responded, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.”

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.

So those who were about to examine him immediately drew back, and the commander was afraid when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that 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.

So the next day, wishing to know for certain why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander released him from his bonds and commanded the chief priests and their entire Sanhedrin to come. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.