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.

Acts 22

¹Men, 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,)

³I 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.

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

⁵As 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.

⁶And 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.

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

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

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

¹⁰And 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.

¹¹And 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.

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

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

¹⁴And 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.

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

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

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

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

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

²⁰And 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.

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

²²And 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.

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

²⁴The 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.

²⁵And 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?

²⁶When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

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

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

²⁹Then 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.

³⁰On 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.