Acts 22

¹Ye men, brethren and Fathers, heare my defence nowe towards you.

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

³I am verely a man, which am a Iew, borne in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought vp in this citie at the feete of Gamaliel, and instructed according to the perfect maner of the Lawe of the Fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

⁴And I persecuted this way vnto the death, binding and deliuering into prison both men and women.

⁵As also ye chiefe Priest doeth beare me witnes, and al the company of the Elders: of whom also I receiued letters vnto the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring them which were there, bound vnto Hierusalem, that they might be punished.

⁶And so it was, as I iourneyed and was come neere vnto Damascus about noone, that suddenly there shone from heauen a great light round about me.

⁷So I fell vnto the earth, and heard a voyce, saying vnto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou mee?

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

⁹Moreouer they that were with me, sawe in deede a light and were afraide: but they heard not the voyce of him that spake vnto me.

¹⁰Then I sayd, What shall I doe, Lord? And the Lord sayde vnto me, Arise, and goe into Damascus: and there it shall be tolde thee of all things, which are appointed for thee to doe.

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

¹²And one Ananias a godly man, as perteining to the Lawe, hauing good report of all the Iewes which dwelt there,

¹³Came vnto me, and stoode, and sayd vnto me, Brother Saul, receiue thy sight: and that same houre I looked vpon him.

¹⁴And he sayd, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee, that thou shouldest knowe his wil, and shouldest see that Iust one, and shouldest heare the voyce of his mouth.

¹⁵For thou shalt be his witnes vnto all men, of the things which thou hast seene and heard.

¹⁶Now therefore why tariest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sinnes, in calling on the Name of the Lord.

¹⁷And it came to passe, that when I was come againe to Hierusalem, and prayed in the Temple, I was in a traunce,

¹⁸And saw him saying vnto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Hierusalem: for they will not receiue thy witnes concerning me.

¹⁹Then I sayd, Lord, they know that I prisoned, and beat in euery Synagogue them that beleeued in thee.

²⁰And when the blood of thy martyr Steuen was shed, I also stood by, and consented vnto his death, and kept the clothes of them that slew him.

²¹Then he sayd vnto me, Depart: for I will send thee farre hence vnto the Gentiles.

²²And they heard him vnto this worde, but then they lift vp their voyces, and sayd, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not meete that he should liue.

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

²⁴The chiefe captaine commanded him to be led into the castle, and bade that he should be scourged, and examined, that he might knowe wherefore they cryed so on him.

²⁵And as they bound him with thongs, Paul sayd vnto the Centurion that stood by, Is it lawfull for you to scourge one that is a Romane, and not condemned?

²⁶Nowe when the Centurion heard it, hee went, and tolde the chiefe captaine, saying, Take heede what thou doest: for this man is a Romane.

²⁷Then the chiefe captaine came, and sayd to him, Tel me, art thou a Romane? And he said, Yea.

²⁸And the chiefe captaine answered, With a great summe obtained I this freedome. Then Paul sayd, But I was so borne.

²⁹Then straightway they departed from him, which should haue examined him: and the chiefe captaine also was afrayd, after he knewe that hee was a Romane, and that he had bound him.

³⁰On the next day, because hee would haue knowen the certaintie wherefore he was accused of the Iewes, he loosed him from his bonds, and commanded the hie Priests and all their Councill to come together: and he brought Paul, and 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.