Acts 22

(Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)

1“BrothersG435G80 andG2532 fathersG3962, listenG191 nowG3570 to myG1473 defenseG627 beforeG4314 youG4771.” 2When they heardG191 him speak toG4377 themG846 in HebrewG3588G1446G1258,1 they becameG3930 even moreG3123 quietG2271.

ThenG2532 Paul declaredG5346, 3“IG1473 amG1510 a JewG2453G435, bornG1080 inG1722 TarsusG5019 of CiliciaG2791, butG1161 raisedG397 inG1722 thisG3778 cityG4172. I was educatedG3811 atG3844 theG3588 feetG4228 of GamalielG1059 in strictG195 conformityG2596 to theG3588 lawG3551 of our fathersG3971. I wasG5225 just as zealousG2207 forG3588 GodG2316 asG2531 any ofG3956 youG4771 areG1510 todayG4594.

4I persecutedG1377 thisG3778 WayG3598 even to theG891 deathG2288, detainingG1195 bothG5037 menG435 andG2532 womenG1135 andG2532 throwing themG3860 intoG1519 prisonG5438, 5asG5613 theG3588 high priestG749 andG2532 theG3588 wholeG3956 CouncilG4244 can testifyG3140 about meG1473. I even obtainedG2532G1209 lettersG1992 fromG3844 themG3739 toG4314 their brothersG80 inG1519 DamascusG1154, and I was on my wayG4198 to apprehendG1210 these people andG2532 bringG71 them toG1519 JerusalemG2419 toG2443 be punishedG5097.

6AboutG4012 noonG3314 as IG1473 was approachingG4198G2532G1448 DamascusG1154, suddenlyG1810 a brightG2425 lightG5457 fromG1537 heavenG3772 flashedG4015 aroundG4012 meG1473. 7I fellG4098 toG1519 theG3588 groundG1475 andG2532 heardG191 a voiceG5456 sayG3004 to meG1473, ‘SaulG4549, SaulG4549, whyG5101 do you persecuteG1377 MeG1473?’

8‘WhoG5101 are YouG1510, LordG2962?’ IG1473 askedG611.

‘IG1473 amG1510 JesusG2424 ofG3588 NazarethG3480, whomG3739 youG4771 are persecutingG1377,’ He repliedG2036. 9My companionsG3588G1510G4862G1473 sawG2300 theG3588 lightG5457, butG1161 they could not understandG3756G191 theG3588 voiceG5456 of theG3588 One speakingG2980 to meG1473.

10ThenG1161 I askedG2036, ‘WhatG5101 should I doG4160, LordG2962?’

‘Get upG450 and goG4198 intoG1519 DamascusG1154,’ He toldG2036G4314 meG1473. ‘ThereG2546 youG4771 will be toldG2980 allG3956 thatG3739 youG4771 have been appointedG5021 to doG4160.’

11

BecauseG5613 theG3588 brillianceG1391 of theG1565 lightG5457 had blinded meG3756G1689, my companionsG3588G4895G1473 led me by the handG2064G5496 intoG1519 DamascusG1154. 12There aG5100 manG435 named AnaniasG367, a devoutG2126 observerG2596 of theG3588 lawG3551 who was highly regardedG3140 byG5259 allG3956 theG3588 JewsG2453 living thereG2730, 13cameG2064 andG2532 stood besideG2186 meG1473. ‘BrotherG80 SaulG4549,’ he saidG2036, ‘receive your sightG308.’ AndG2504 atG3588 thatG846 moment I could seeG308G1519 himG846.

14ThenG1161 he saidG2036, ‘TheG3588 GodG2316 of ourG1473 fathersG3962 has appointedG4400 youG4771 to knowG1097 HisG846 willG2307 andG2532 to seeG3708 theG3588 Righteous OneG1342 andG2532 to hearG191 His voiceG5456G1537G846G3588G4750. 15You will beG1510 HisG846 witnessG3144 toG4314 everyoneG3956G444 of whatG3739 you have seenG3708 andG2532 heardG191. 16AndG2532 nowG3568 whatG5101 are you waiting forG3195? Get upG450, be baptizedG907, andG2532 washG628 yourG4771 sins awayG266, calling onG1941 HisG846 nameG3686.’

17LaterG1161, when IG1473 had returnedG5290 toG1519 JerusalemG2419 andG2532 was prayingG4336 atG1722 theG3588 templeG2411, IG1473 fellG1096 intoG1722 a tranceG1611 18andG2532 sawG3708 the Lord2 sayingG3004 to meG1473, ‘HurryG4692! LeaveG1831G1537 JerusalemG2419 quicklyG1722G5034, becauseG1360 the people here will not acceptG3756G3858 yourG4771 testimonyG3141 aboutG4012 MeG1473.’

19‘LordG2962,’ IG2504 answeredG2036, ‘they know very wellG846G1987 thatG3754 in oneG2596 synagogueG4864 after anotherG3588 IG1473 imprisonedG1510G5439 andG2532 beatG1194 those whoG3588 believedG4100 inG1909 YouG4771. 20AndG2532 whenG3753 theG3588 bloodG129 of YourG4771 witnessG31443 StephenG4736 was shedG1632, IG846 stood thereG1510G2186 giving my approvalG2532G4909 andG2532 watching overG5442 theG3588 garmentsG2440 of those whoG3588 killedG337 himG846.’

21ThenG2532 He saidG2036 toG4314 meG1473, ‘GoG4198! IG1473 will sendG1821 youG4771 far awayG3112 toG1519 the GentilesG1484.’”

22

Paul the Roman Citizen

The crowd listenedG191 toG846 Paul untilG891 he made this statementG3056G3778. ThenG2532 they lifted upG1869 theirG846 voicesG5456 and shoutedG3004, “RidG142 theG3588 earthG1093 ofG575 him! He is not fitG3756G2520G846 to liveG2198!”

23As theyG846 were shoutingG2905 andG2532 throwing offG4495 their cloaksG2440 andG2532 tossingG906 dustG2868 intoG1519 theG3588 airG109, 24theG3588 commanderG5506 ordered thatG2753 Paul be broughtG1521 intoG1519 theG3588 barracksG3925. He directed thatG2036 Paul be floggedG3148 and interrogatedG426 toG2443 determineG1921 the reasonG3739G156 forG1223 thisG3779 outcryG2019 against himG846.

25ButG1161 asG5613 they stretched him outG4385G846 to strap him downG3588G2438, PaulG3972 saidG2036 toG4314 theG3588 centurionG1543 standing thereG2476, “Is it lawfulG1487G1832 for youG4771 to flogG3147 aG444 Roman citizenG4514 without a trialG178?”

26On hearingG191 this, theG3588 centurionG1543 wentG4334 and reportedG518 it to theG3588 commanderG5506. “WhatG5101 are you goingG3195 to doG4160?” he saidG3004. “ThisG3778 manG444 isG1510 a Roman citizenG4514.”

27

TheG3588 commanderG5506 wentG4334 toG846 Paul and askedG2036, “TellG3004 meG1473, areG1510 youG4771 a Roman citizenG4514?”

“YesG3483,” he answeredG5346.

28“IG1473 paidG2932 a highG4183 priceG2774 for my citizenshipG4174,” saidG611 theG3588 commanderG5506.

“ButG1161 IG1473 was born a citizenG2532G1080,” PaulG3972 repliedG5346.

29At onceG3767G2112 those whoG3588 were aboutG3195 to interrogateG426 Paul stepped backG868G575G846, andG2532 theG3588 commanderG5506 himself was alarmedG5399 when he realizedG1921G3754G1510 thatG3754 he had putG1510G1210 a Roman citizen in chainsG4514.

30

TheG3588 next dayG1887 the commander, wantingG1014 to learnG1097 the real reasonG804G5101 Paul was accusedG2723 byG5259 theG3588 JewsG2453, releasedG3089 himG846 andG2532 orderedG2753 theG3588 chief priestsG749 andG2532 theG3588 wholeG3956 SanhedrinG48924 to assembleG4905. ThenG2532 he broughtG2609 Paul downG3972 and had him standG2476 beforeG1519 themG846.