Acts 22:4-30

41I persecuted this 2Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, 5as also 3the high priest and all 4the Council of the elders 5can testify. From them I also 6received letters to 7the brethren, and started off for 8Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem 9as prisoners to be punished.

6“10But 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 11Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 9And those who were with me 12saw the light, to be sure, but 13did not 14understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. 10And I said, ‘15What 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 16could not see because of the 17brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.

12“A certain 18Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and 19well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘20Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And 2122at that very time I looked up at him. 14And he said, ‘23The God of our fathers has 24appointed you to know His will and to 25see the 26Righteous One and to hear an 27utterance from His mouth. 15For you will be 28a witness for Him to all men of 29what you have seen and heard. 16Now why do you delay? 30Get up and be baptized, and 31wash away your sins, 32calling on His name.’

17“It happened when I 33returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I 34fell into a trance, 18and I saw Him saying to me, ‘35Make 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 36I used to imprison and 37beat those who believed in You. 20And 38when 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 39to the Gentiles.’”

22They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “40Away with such a fellow from the earth, for 41he should not be allowed to live!” 23And as they were crying out and 42throwing off their cloaks and 43tossing dust into the air, 24the 44commander ordered him to be brought into 45the barracks, stating that he should be 46examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25But when they stretched him out 47with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it 48lawful for you to scourge 49a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26When the centurion heard this, he went to the 50commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27The 51commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28The 52commander 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 53examine him immediately 54let go of him; and the 55commander also 56was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had 5758put him in chains.

30But on the next day, 59wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he 60released him and ordered the chief priests and all 61the 62Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them.