Acts 22

1Men, brothers and fathers, hear now my defense to you.

2But when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:

3I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strictness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as all of you are today.

4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering both men and women into prisons,

5as also the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify for me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was traveling there to bring also those who were there, bound, to Jerusalem so that they might be punished.

6It happened that as I was traveling and drawing near to Damascus, about noon, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me,

7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

8And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’

9Those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one speaking to me.

10Then I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything that has been appointed for you to do.’

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

12A certain man, Ananias, devout according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews living there,

13He came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And in that very hour I received my sight and looked at him.

14And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth,’

15For you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.

16And now why are you waiting? Rise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.

17And it happened to me that, after I had returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance,

18and I saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’

19And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I was imprisoning and beating those who believe in you.’

20And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being poured out, I myself was standing by and approving, and guarding the cloaks of those who were killing him.

21And he said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’

22They were listening to him up to this statement, and they raised their voices, saying, “Take such a man away from the earth, for it was not fitting for him to live.”

23And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,

24The tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by scourging, so that he might find out for what reason they were shouting against him like this.

25But when they had stretched him out with the straps, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen who is uncondemned?”

26When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”

27So the tribune came up and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.”

28But the tribune answered, “I acquired this citizenship for a large sum.” But Paul said, “But I was even born with it.”

29Therefore those who were about to examine him withdrew from him at once, and the tribune also became afraid when he realized that he was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

30But on the next day, wanting to know for certain what he was being accused of by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council to assemble; and bringing Paul down, he set him before them.