Acts 22

1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

2 When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,

3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.

4 I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,

5 as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.

7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

8 ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.

9 My companions saw the light and were terrified, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

10 Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’

11 Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.

12 There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,

13 came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice.

15 You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on the name of the Lord.’

17 Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance

18 and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’

19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.

20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval to his death and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’

21 Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”

23 As they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

24 the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.

25 But as he stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”

26 On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “Consider what you are about to do,” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.

28 “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 At once those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.

30 The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him from the bonds and ordered the chief priests and their whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

1 ¶ Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence [which I make] now unto you.

2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

3 ¶ I am verily a man [which am] a Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, ‹Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?›

8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, ‹I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.›

9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, ‹Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.›

11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt [there],

13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

18 And saw him saying unto me, ‹Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.›

19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

21 And he said unto me, ‹Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.›

22 ¶ And they gave him audience unto this word, and [then] lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a [fellow] from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

23 And as they cried out, and cast off [their] clothes, and threw dust into the air,

24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto 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 [that], he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was [free] born.

29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from [his] bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

1 Ye men, brethren and fathers, hear my answer unto you.

2 And when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, they were still more silent. And he spake:

3 I am a Jewish man, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, and brought up in that city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught with all diligence in the law of my father, and was zealous for God, as ye all are this day.

4 And I have pursued this way unto death. And I bound them, and delivered them into prison, both man and woman,

5 As also the high priest and all the elders testify unto me, from whom I took letters unto the brethren, and journeyed to Damascus, to bring them that were there bound to Jerusalem to be tormented.

6 And it came to pass, as I was going, and came nigh unto Damascus about noon, that there looked upon me quickly a great light from heaven.

7 And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

8 And I said unto him, Lord, who art thou? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

9 And they that were with me saw the light, and were afraid: but they heard not the voice of him that talked with me.

10 And I said, Lord, what shall I do? And the LORD said unto me, Arise, and go to Damascus: there shall they tell thee of all that thou art commanded to do.

11 And when I could not see for the brightness of this light, I was led by the hand of them that were with me, and came to Damascus.

12 Now there was a man that feared God according to the law, Ananias, which had a good report among all the Jews that dwelt there.

13 And he came and stood before me, and said unto me, Saul, brother, look up. And I looked upon him that very hour.

14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath ordained thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see the righteous, and hear the voice of his mouth.

15 For thou shalt be a witness unto all men of the things which thou hast seen and heard.

16 And now, what wilt thou forgive? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, and call upon the name of the LORD.

17 And it came to pass, when I was come again to Jerusalem, and worshipped in the temple, that I was amazed, and saw him.

18 And he said unto me, Haste thee, and get thee out of Jerusalem with speed: for they will not receive thy testimony of me.

19 And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I have taken captives, and have overthrown them that believe on thee in the synagogues from time to time.

20 And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also stood by, and had pleasure in his death, and laid up the garments of them that slew him.

21 And he said unto me, Go thy way: for I will send thee far off among the heathen.

22 And they hearkened unto him unto this word, and lifted up their voice, and said: Away with such a one from the earth; for it is not right that he should live!

23 And when they cried out, and cast off their garments, and threw the dust into the air,

24 And the centurion commanded him to be brought into the camp, and said, That he should be pushed, and that he should bear it, that he might know for what cause they cried thus against him.

25 And when he had bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful among you to scourge a Roman man without judgment and justice?

26 And when the sub-chief heard it, he went to the chief captain, and told him, saying, What wilt thou do? This man is a Roman.

27 And the chief captain came unto him, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yea.

28 And the chief captain answered: I have brought this citizenship to pass with great sum. But Paul said: But I also was born a Roman.

29 And straightway they that were to question him departed from him. And the chief captain was afraid, when he heard that he was a Roman, and that he had bound him.

30 And the next day, desiring certainly to know why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from the bands, and called the chief priests and all their council to come, and brought Paul forth, and set him among them.