Acts 22

Paul’s Defense before the Jews

1“1Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”

2And when they heard that he was addressing them in the 23Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said,

3“4I am 5a Jew, born in 6Tarsus of 7Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated 8under 9Gamaliel, 1011strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as 12you all are today. 413I persecuted this 14Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, 5as also 15the high priest and all 16the Council of the elders 17can testify. From them I also 18received letters to 19the brethren, and started off for 20Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem 21as prisoners to be punished.

6“22But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, 7and I 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 23Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 9And those who were with me 24saw the light, to be sure, but 25did not 26understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. 10And I said, ‘27What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’ 11But since I 28could not see because of the 29brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.

12“A certain 30Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and 31well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘32Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And 3334at that very time I looked up at him. 14And he said, ‘35The God of our fathers has 36appointed you to know His will and to 37see the 38Righteous One and to hear an 39utterance from His mouth. 15For you will be 40a witness for Him to all men of 41what you have seen and heard. 16Now why do you delay? 42Get up and be baptized, and 43wash away your sins, 44calling on His name.’

17“It happened when I 45returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I 46fell into a trance, 18and I saw Him saying to me, ‘47Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ 19And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another 48I used to imprison and 49beat those who believed in You. 20And 50when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’ 21And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away 51to the Gentiles.’”

22They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “52Away with such a fellow from the earth, for 53he should not be allowed to live!” 23And as they were crying out and 54throwing off their cloaks and 55tossing dust into the air, 24the 56commander ordered him to be brought into 57the barracks, stating that he should be 58examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25But when they stretched him out 59with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it 60lawful for you to scourge 61a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26When the centurion heard this, he went to the 62commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27The 63commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28The 64commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.” 29Therefore those who were about to 65examine him immediately 66let go of him; and the 67commander also 68was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had 6970put him in chains.

30But on the next day, 71wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he 72released him and ordered the chief priests and all 73the 74Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them.