Acts 22:1-5

1“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

2When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter.

3He continued, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strictness of our ancestral law. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.

4I persecuted this Way to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail,

5as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.