Acts 22

¹“Noble brothers and fathers, listen to the explanation that I now give to you.”

²And when they heard him speaking to them in the Hebrew language, they offered a greater silence.

³And he said: “I am a Jewish man, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but raised in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, just as all of you also are to this day.

⁴I persecuted this Way, even unto death, binding and delivering into custody both men and women,

⁵just as the high priest and all those greater by birth bear witness to me. Having received letters from them to the brothers, I journeyed to Damascus, so that I might lead them bound from there to Jerusalem, so that they might be punished.

⁶But it happened that, as I was traveling and was approaching Damascus at midday, suddenly from heaven a great light shone around me.

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

⁸And I responded, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’

⁹And those who were with me, indeed, saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of him who was speaking with me.

¹⁰And I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ Then the Lord said to me: ‘Rise up, and go to Damascus. And there, you shall be told all that you must do.’

¹¹And since I could not see, because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by my companions, and I went to Damascus.

¹²Then a certain Ananias, a man in accord with the law, having the testimony of all the Jews who were living there,

¹³drawing near to me and standing close by, said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see!’ And in that same hour, I looked upon him.

¹⁴But he said: ‘The God of our fathers has preordained you, so that you would come to know his will and would see the Just One, and would hear the voice from his mouth.

¹⁵For you shall be his witness to all men about those things which you have seen and heard.

¹⁶And now, why do you delay? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, by invoking his name.’

¹⁷Then it happened that, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, a mental stupor came over me,

¹⁸and I saw him saying to me: ‘Hurry! Depart quickly from Jerusalem! For they will not accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹And I said: ‘Lord, they know that I am beating and enclosing in prison, throughout every synagogue, those who have believed in you.

²⁰And when the blood of your witness Stephen was poured out, I stood nearby and was consenting, and I watched over the garments of those who put him to death.’

²¹And he said to me, ‘Go forth. For I am sending you to far away nations.’ ”

²²Now they were listening to him, until this word, and then they lifted up their voice, saying: “Take this kind away from the earth! For it is not fitting for him to live!”

²³And while they were shouting, and tossing aside their garments, and casting dust into the air,

²⁴the tribune ordered him to be brought into the fortress, and to be scourged and tortured, in order to discover the reason that they were crying out in this way against him.

²⁵And when they had tied him with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing near him, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and has not been condemned?”

²⁶Upon hearing this, the centurion went to the tribune and reported it to him, saying: “What do you intend to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”

²⁷And the tribune, approaching, said to him: “Tell me. Are you a Roman?” So he said, “Yes.”

²⁸And the tribune responded, “I obtained this citizenship at great cost.” And Paul said, “But I was born to it.”

²⁹Therefore, those who were going to torture him, immediately withdrew from him. The tribune was similarly afraid, after he realized that he was a Roman citizen, for he had bound him.

³⁰But on the next day, wanting to discover more diligently what the reason was that he was accused by the Jews, he released him, and he ordered the priests to convene, with the entire council. And, producing Paul, he stationed him among them.

Acts 22

¹Men, brethren and fathers, hear ye the account which I now give unto you.

²(And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence.)

³And he saith: I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, as also all you are this day:

⁴Who persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

⁵As the high priest doth bear me witness and all the ancients. From whom also receiving letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus, that I might bring them bound from thence to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶And it came to pass, as I was going and drawing nigh to Damascus, at mid-day, that suddenly from heaven there shone round about me a great light:

⁷And falling on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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

⁹And they that were with me saw indeed the light: but they heard not the voice of him that spoke with me.

¹⁰And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise and go to Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things that thou must do.

¹¹And whereas I did not see for the brightness of that light, being led by the hand by my companions, I came to Damascus,

¹²And one Ananias, a man according to the law, having testimony of all the Jews who dwelt there,

¹³Coming to me and standing by me, said to me: Brother Saul, look up. And I, the same hour, looked upon him.

¹⁴But he said: The God of our fathers hath preordained thee that thou shouldst know his will and see the Just One and shouldst hear the voice from his mouth.

¹⁵For thou shalt be his witness to all men of those things which thou hast seen and heard.

¹⁶And now why tarriest thou? Rise up and be baptized and wash away thy sins, invoking his name.

¹⁷And it came to pass, when I was come again to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance,

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

¹⁹And I said: Lord, they know that I cast into prison and beat in every synagogue them that believed in thee.

²⁰And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I stood by and consented: and kept the garments of them that killed him.

²¹And he said to me: Go, for unto the Gentiles afar off will I send thee.

²²And they heard him until this word and then lifted up their voice, saying: Away with such an one from the earth. For it is not fit that he should live.

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

²⁴The tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and that he should be scourged and tortured: to know for what cause they did so cry out against him.

²⁵And when they had bound him with thongs, Paul saith to the centurion that stood by him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned?

²⁶Which the centurion hearing, went to the tribune and told him, saying: What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.

²⁷And the tribune coming, said to him: Tell me. Art thou a Roman? But he said: Yea.

²⁸And the tribune answered: I obtained the being free of this city with a great sum. And Paul said: But I was born so.

²⁹Immediately therefore they departed from him that were about to torture him. The tribune also was afraid after he understood that he was a Roman citizen and because he had bound him.

³⁰But on the next day, meaning to know more diligently for what cause he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him and commanded the priests to come together and all the council: and, bringing forth Paul, he set him before them.