22
1 “Brothers
and fathers, listen
to the defense
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,
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.
4 I
persecuted this
Way to the
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.
6 “As
I made my
journey and came
close to Damascus,
about noon
suddenly a great
light shone around
me from the
sky.
7 I
fell to the
ground and heard a
voice saying to
me,
‘Saul, Saul,
why are you
persecuting me?’
8 I
answered, ‘Who are
you, Lord?’ He
said to me,
‘I am Jesus
of Nazareth,
whom you
persecute.’
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.
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.’
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.
12 “One
Ananias, a devout
man according to
the law, well
reported of by
all the Jews
who lived
in Damascus,
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.
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.
15 For
you will be
a witness for
him to all
men of what
you 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.’
17 “When
I had returned
to Jerusalem and
while I prayed
in 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.’
19 I
said, ‘Lord, they
themselves know
that I imprisoned
and beat in
every synagogue
those who believed
in you.
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.’
21 “He
said to me,
‘Depart, for I
will send you
out far from
here 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!”
23 As
they cried out,
threw off their
cloaks, and threw
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.
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?”
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!”
27 The commanding officer came
and asked him, “Tell
me, are you
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.”
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.
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.