22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.”
22:2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said:
22:3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
22:4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,
22:5 as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
22:6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
22:7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’
22:8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.
22:9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
22:10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’
22:11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
22:12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.
22:13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.
22:14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.
22:15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
22:16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’
22:17 “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
22:18 and saw the Lord speaking. ‘Quick!’ he said to me. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
22:19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you.
22:20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
22:21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22:22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”
22:23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,
22:24 the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.
22:25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”
22:26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”
22:27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered.
22:28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a big price for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
22:29 Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.
22:30 The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.
22:1 Men, brothers and fathers, hear my defense which I now make to you.
22:2 And when they heard that he addressed them in the Hebrew dialect, they became more quiet. And he said,
22:3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city and trained at the feet of Gamaliel, according to the strictness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.
22:4 And I persecuted this Way unto death, binding and delivering to prisons both men and women,
22:5 As also the high priest and all the assembly of the elders testify for me; from whom I also received letters to the brothers and went to Damascus to bring those also who were there bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished.
22:6 And as I journeyed and drew near to Damascus about midday, suddenly a great light flashed out of heaven around me;
22:7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?
22:8 And I answered, Who are You, Lord? And He said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you persecute.
22:9 And those who were with me beheld the light, but did not hear the voice of the One who was speaking to me.
22:10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up and go into Damascus, and there it will be told to you concerning all the things which have been appointed to you to do.
22:11 And as I could not see because of the glory of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.
22:12 And a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well attested to by all the Jews dwelling there,
22:13 Came to me, and standing by, said to me, Saul, brother, receive your sight! And in that very hour I looked up at him.
22:14 And he said, The God of our fathers has previously appointed you to know His will and to see the righteous One and to hear the voice from His mouth;
22:15 For you will be a witness to Him unto all men of the things which you have seen and heard.
22:16 And now, why do you delay? Rise up and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name.
22:17 And when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I went into a trance;
22:18 And I saw Him saying to me, Hurry, and go quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept your testimony concerning Me.
22:19 And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and beating from synagogue to synagogue those who believe on You;
22:20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself also was standing by and approving and keeping the garments of those who did away with him.
22:21 And He said to me, Go, for I will send you forth far away to the Gentiles.
22:22 And they listened to him up to this word, and then they lifted up their voice, saying, Away from the earth with such a man, for it is not fitting for him to live!
22:23 And as they were crying out and casting off their garments and throwing dust in the air,
22:24 The commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by scourging in order that he might ascertain for what cause they were shouting against him so.
22:25 But as they stretched him out with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion standing by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?
22:26 And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported, saying, What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.
22:27 And the commander came and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? And he said, Yes.
22:28 And the commander answered, With a large sum of money I acquired this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was even born a Roman.
22:29 Immediately therefore those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander also was afraid, realizing that he was a Roman and that he had bound him.
22:30 And on the next day he, intending to find out for certain why he was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to come together; and having brought Paul down, he had him stand before them.