THE BOOK OF ACTS

 

Acts Chapter 22

1 ¶ Men, brothers, and fathers, listen now to my defense.

2 (And when they heard him speaking to them in the Hebrew tongue, they grew even more quiet: and he said,)

3 ¶ I am truly a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of the fathers, and was just as zealous for God, as you are today.

4 And I persecuted those who followed this way to their death, arresting and throwing into prison both men and women.

5 As also the high priest and entire council of elders can testify: for I received letters from them to our brethren in Damascus, and was going there to bring those who were there to Jerusalem in chains, to be punished.

6 And it happened, that about noontime, as I was traveling, and was approaching Damascus, a very bright light suddenly shone from heaven around me.

7 And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying unto 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 who were with me saw the light, and were afraid; but they did not hear the voice of him who spoke to me.

10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Get up, and go into Damascus; and there you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.

11 And when I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I arrived in Damascus, being led by the hand by those who were with me.

12 And Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who was well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

13 Came to me, and standing near, said, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And at that instant I was able to see him.

14 And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you, to know his will, and see the Just One, and to hear words from his mouth.

15 For you will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16 And now what are you waiting for? get up, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

17 And it so happened, that after I came back to Jerusalem, while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance;

18 And saw him saying to me, Hurry, and get out of Jerusalem right away: because they will not accept your testimony about me.

19 And I said, Lord, they know that I went from synagogue to synagogue beating and putting in prison those who believed in you:

20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I was standing there, consenting to his death, holding the coats of those who killed him.

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

22 ¶ Now they listened to him until he said that word, and then raised their voices, shouting, Away rid the earth of such a fellow: for he is not fit to live.

23 And as they shouted, and cast off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,

24 The commander ordered him to be taken into the barracks, and told his men to examine Paul by scourging; so that he might find out why the people were shouting against him that way.

25 But while they were tying him with leather thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing there, Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and has not been convicted?

26 When the centurion heard that, he reported it to the commander, saying, Be careful what you do: for this man is a Roman.

27 Then the commander went to Paul, and said, Tell me, are you a Roman? and He answered, Yes.

28 Then the commander said, I paid a great deal for that freedom. And Paul said, But I was born free.

29 Then those who were about to examine him left immediately: and the commander was also afraid, after learning that he was a Roman, because he had put him in chains.

30 On the next day, since the commander wanted to know exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he loosed him, summoned the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin to assemble, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.