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 brothers, 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 at about noon, 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, 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 about everything that has been appointed for you to do.’ 11But since I 16could not see because of the 17brightness of that light, I came into Damascus being led by the hand by those who were with me.

12“Now 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 nearby he said to me, ‘20Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And 2122at that very moment 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 a 27message from His mouth. 15For you will be 28a witness for Him to all people of 29what you have seen and heard. 16Now why do you delay? 30Get up and be baptized, and 31wash away your sins by 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, ‘35Hurry 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 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 39to the Gentiles.’”

22They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “40Away with such a man from the earth, for 41he should not be allowed to live!” 23And as they were shouting and 42throwing off their cloaks and 43tossing dust into the air, 24the commander ordered that he be brought into 44the barracks, saying that he was to be 45interrogated by flogging so that he would find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25But when they stretched him out 46with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it 47lawful for you to flog 48a 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 49Paul, “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 50interrogate him immediately backed away from him; and the commander also 51was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had 5253put him in chains.

30Now on the next day, 54wanting to know for certain why Paul had been accused by the Jews, he 55released him and ordered the chief priests and all 56the 57Council to assemble, and he brought Paul down and placed him before them.