Acts 22

1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defense which I make now to you.

2 {And when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he said,}

3 I am truly a man, 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 you all are this day.

4 And I (formerly) persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women (who were disciples of the Lord Jesus).

5 As also the high priest can bear me witness, and all the elders: from whom also I received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them who were there bound to Jerusalem, to be punished.

6 And it came to pass that, as I made my journey, and was come near to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

7 And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?

8 And I answered, Who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.

9 And those that were with me truly saw the light and were afraid; but they did not hear the voice of Him that spoke to me.

10 And I said, What shall I do, LORD? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told you of all things which are appointed for you to do.

11 And when I could not see because of the glory of that light, being led (blind) by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

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

13 Came to me, and stood, and said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And that same hour, I looked upon him.

14 And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you, that you should know his will, and see that Just One (Jesus), and should hear the voice of His mouth.

 

15 For you shall be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard (of Him).

16 And now, why wait? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

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

18 And saw Him saying to me, Hurry, and quickly get yourself out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive your testimony concerning me.

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

20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and watched the garments of them that slew him.

21 And He said to me, Depart: for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.

22 And they listened to 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.

23 And as they cried out, throwing off their clothes, and threw dust into the air (in anger),

24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the barracks and instructed that he should be questioned by flogging; that he might know why they cried so against him.

25 And as they bound him with straps, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to whip a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Be careful what you do: because this man is a Roman.

27 Then the chief captain came, and said to Paul, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, Yes.

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

29 Then straightway they departed from him, who should have questioned him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman (citizen), and because he (not knowing) had bound him.

30 On the next day, desiring to know for certain why the Jews accused him, 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.