Acts 22

“Men, brothers and fathers, hear my defense to you now.”

And when they heard that he was speaking to them in the Hebrew language, they granted more quietness. And he said, \*

“I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strictness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as you all are today,

who persecuted this Way unto death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,

as also the high priest testifies for me, and all the elderhood, from whom also having received letters to the brothers, I was traveling to Damascus, going to bring back bound to Jerusalem even those being there so that they might be punished. \*

And it happened to me that, traveling and nearing Damascus about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.

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

And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ \*

Now the ones being with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one speaking to me.

But I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arising, go into Damascus, and there it will be told to you about all that has been appointed to you to do.’

And as I was not seeing clearly because of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by the ones being with me, I came into Damascus. \*

And Ananias, a certain devout man according to the law, being attested by all the Jews living there,

came to me and, standing by me, said to me, ‘Saul, brother, look up.’ And in the same hour I looked up to him. \*

And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear the voice from his mouth,

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

And now, why are you delaying? Arising, be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’ \*

And it happened to me that, having returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, I became in a trance.

And I saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and go away in haste from Jerusalem, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ \*

And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating by synagogues the ones believing in you.

And when the blood of Stephen your witness was spilled, I myself was also standing by and agreeing and guarding the outer garments of the ones killing him.’

But he said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” \*

And they were listening to him until this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, “Remove such a one from the earth, for it was not right for him to live.”

And as they were shouting and casting off {their} outer garments, and throwing dust into the air,

the chiliarch ordered him to be brought into the fortress, commanding him to be examined by scourges, so that he might know for what reason they were shouting thus against him. \*

But when they stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “If it is lawful for you to scourge a man Roman and uncondemned?”

And hearing this, the centurion, going to the chiliarch, reported, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” \*

So coming, the chiliarch said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.”

And the commander answered, “I bought this citizenship with a large sum of money.” But Paul said, “But I indeed was born.”

Then the ones being about to examine him drew back from him immediately, and the chiliarch also was afraid, having learned that he was a Roman, because indeed he had bound him. \*

And on the next day, wanting to know the certain, why he was being accused by the Jews, he released him and commanded the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. And having brought down Paul, he placed him among them. \*