Acts 22

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

Brethren, and Fathers, hear now my apology to you,

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

---(and when they heard that he spake to them in the Hebrew dialect, they the more readily kept silence, and 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 indeed a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, accurately instructed in 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 those of this persuasion even unto 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 the high priest is my witness, and all the elders: from whom I received letters to our brethren, and went to Damascus to bring those also, that were there, bound 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.

And it came to pass that as I was on my journey and drew nigh to Damascus, about mid-day, on a sudden 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?’

and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou 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 unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, 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 the light indeed, and were affrighted; but they did not hear the voice of Him that spake 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, Lord, what shall I do? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which are appointed 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 could not see by reason of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those that were with me, I came to Damascus.

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

And one Ananias, a devout observer of the law, who had a good character from all the Jews that 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 stood by me, and said, Brother Saul, look up: 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 hath before appointed thee to know his will, and to see the just 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 his witness unto 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 shouldst thou delay? Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy 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

And when I was returned to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, I was 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 unto 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 themselves know that I imprisoned and scourged in the synagogues them that believed on 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 thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also stood by and consented to his death, and kept the clothes of them that slew him.

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

But he said unto me, Go away; for I will send thee far hence unto 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 heard him to this word, and then they exalted their voice, saying, Away with such a fellow from the earth; for it is 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 bawling out, and throwing off their clothes, and casting up 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 tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and ordered him to be put to the question by scourging; that he might know for what reason they so cried 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?”

And as they were binding him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, 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 the centurion hearing this, went and told the tribune, saying, Consider what thou art 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 tribune came and said to him, Tell me, art thou 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 tribune replied, I obtained this freedom with a large sum of money. And Paul said, But I was free-born.

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.

Immediately therefore those who were going to put him to the question quitted him: and the tribune also was afraid, 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.

And on the morrow, desiring to know for certain what he was accused of by the Jews, he loosed him from his bonds, and ordered the chief priests and all their council to attend; and he brought down Paul, and set him before them: