Acts 22:17-30

17“It happened when I 1returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I 2fell into a trance, 18and I saw Him saying to me, ‘3Hurry 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 4I used to imprison and 5beat those who believed in You. 20And 6when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing nearby and approving, and watching over the cloaks of those who were killing him.’ 21And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away 7to the Gentiles.’”

22They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “8Away with such a man from the earth, for 9he should not be allowed to live!” 23And as they were shouting and 10throwing off their cloaks and 11tossing dust into the air, 24the commander ordered that he be brought into 12the barracks, saying that he was to be 13interrogated by flogging so that he would find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25But when they stretched him out 14with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it 15lawful for you to flog 16a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27The commander came and said to 17Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28The commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.” 29Therefore, those who were about to 18interrogate him immediately backed away from him; and the commander also 19was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had 2021put him in chains.

30Now on the next day, 22wanting to know for certain why Paul had been accused by the Jews, he 23released him and ordered the chief priests and all 24the 25Council to assemble, and he brought Paul down and placed him before them.