Acts 22

Paul’s Defense before the Jews

1“12BrothersG435G80 and fathersG3962, hearG191 my defenseG627 which I nowG3570 offer to you.”

2And when they heardG191 that he was addressingG4377 them in the 34HebrewG1446 dialectG1258, they becameG3930 even moreG3123 quietG2271; and he saidG5346,

3“5I amG1510 6a JewG2453, bornG1080 in 7TarsusG5019 of 8CiliciaG2791, but broughtG397 upG397 in thisG3778 cityG4172, educatedG3811 9underG3844G3588G4228 10GamalielG1059, 1112strictlyG195 accordingG2596 to the LawG3551 of our fathersG3971, beingG5225 zealousG2207 for GodG2316 justG2531 asG2531 13you allG3956 are todayG4594. 414I persecutedG1377 thisG3778 15WayG3598 to the deathG2288, bindingG1195 and puttingG3860 bothG5037 menG435 and womenG1135 into prisonsG5438, 5as alsoG2532 16the highG749 priestG749 and allG3956 17the CouncilG4244 ofG4244 the eldersG4244 18can testifyG3140. From them I alsoG2532 19receivedG1209 lettersG1992 to 20the brothersG80, and startedG4198 off for 21DamascusG1154 in order to bringG71 evenG2532 thoseG3588 who were thereG1566 to JerusalemG2419 22as prisonersG1210 to be punishedG5097.

6“23But it happenedG1096 that as I wasG4198 onG4198 my wayG4198, approachingG1448 DamascusG1154 at aboutG4012 noonG3314, a veryG2425 brightG2425 lightG5457 suddenlyG1810 flashedG4015 from heavenG3772 allG4015 aroundG4015 me, 7and I fellG4098 to the groundG1475 and heardG191 a voiceG5456 sayingG3004 to me, ‘SaulG4549, SaulG4549, whyG5101 are you persecutingG1377 Me?’ 8And I answeredG611, ‘WhoG5101 are You, LordG2962?’ And He saidG3004 to me, ‘I amG1510 24JesusG2424 the NazareneG3480, whomG3739 you are persecutingG1377.’ 9And thoseG3588 whoG5101 were with me 25sawG2300 the lightG5457, but 26did not 27understandG191 the voiceG5456 of the One who was speakingG2980 to me. 10And I saidG3004, ‘28WhatG5101 shall I doG4160, LordG2962?’ And the LordG2962 saidG3004 to me, ‘GetG450 upG450 and goG4198 onG4198 into DamascusG1154, and thereG2546 you will be toldG2980 aboutG4012 everythingG3956 that has been appointedG5021 for you to doG4160.’ 11But sinceG5613 I 29could not seeG1689 becauseG575 of the 30brightnessG1391 of that lightG5457, I cameG2064 into DamascusG1154 being ledG5496 byG5496 theG5496 handG5496 by thoseG3588 who were with me.

12“NowG1161 a certainG5100 31AnaniasG367, a manG435 who was devoutG2126 by the standardG3358 of the LawG3551 and 32wellG3140 spokenG3140 of by allG3956 the JewsG2453 who livedG2730 there, 13cameG2064 to me, and standingG2186 nearbyG2186 he saidG3004 to me, ‘33BrotherG80 SaulG4549, receiveG308 your sightG308!’ And 3435at that veryG846 momentG5610 I lookedG308 upG308 at him. 14And he saidG3004, ‘36The GodG2316 of our fathersG3962 has 37appointedG4400 you to knowG1097 His willG2307 and to 38seeG3708 the 39RighteousG1342 OneG1342 and to hearG191 a 40messageG5456 from His mouthG4750. 15For you will be 41a witnessG3144 for Him to allG3956 peopleG444 of 42whatG3739 you have seenG3708 and heardG191. 16NowG3568 whyG5101 do you delayG3195? 43GetG450 upG450 and beG907 baptizedG907, and 44washG628 awayG628 your sinsG266 by 45callingG1941 onG1941 His nameG3686.’

17“It happenedG1096 when I 46returnedG5290 to JerusalemG2419 and was prayingG4336 in the templeG2413, that I 47fellG1096 into a tranceG1611, 18and I sawG3708 Him sayingG3004 to me, ‘48HurryG4692 and getG1831 outG1831 of JerusalemG2419 quicklyG5034, becauseG1360 they will not acceptG3858 your testimonyG3141 aboutG4012 Me.’ 19And I saidG3004, ‘LordG2962, they themselvesG846 understandG1987 that in one synagogueG4864 afterG2596 anotherG2596 49I used to imprisonG5439 and 50beatG1194 thoseG3588 who believedG4100 in You. 20And 51whenG3753 the bloodG129 of Your witnessG3144 StephenG4736 was being shedG1632, I alsoG2532 was standingG2186 nearbyG2186 and approvingG4909, and watchingG5442 overG5442 the cloaksG2440 of thoseG3588 who were killingG337 him.’ 21And He saidG3004 to me, ‘GoG4198! For I will sendG1821 you farG3112 awayG1821 52to the GentilesG1484.’”

22They listenedG191 to him up to thisG3778 statementG3056, and then they raisedG1869 their voicesG5456 and saidG3004, “53AwayG142 with suchG5108 a manG5108 from the earthG1093, for 54he shouldG2520 not beG2520 allowedG2520 to liveG2198!” 23And as they were shoutingG2905 and 55throwingG4496 offG4496 their cloaksG2440 and 56tossingG906 dustG2868 into the airG109, 24the commanderG5506 orderedG2753 that he be broughtG1521 into 57the barracksG3925, sayingG3004 that he was to be 58interrogatedG426 by floggingG3148 soG2443 thatG2443 he would findG1921 outG1921 the reasonG156 whyG1223G3739 they were shoutingG2019 against him thatG3779 wayG3779. 25But whenG5613 they stretchedG4385 him outG4385 59with strapsG2438, PaulG3972 saidG3004 to the centurionG1543 who was standingG2476 by, “Is it 60lawfulG1832 for you to flogG3147 61a manG444 who is a RomanG4514 and uncondemnedG178?” 26When the centurionG1543 heardG191 this, he wentG4334 to the commanderG5506 and toldG518 him, sayingG3004, “WhatG5101 areG3195 you aboutG3195 toG3195 doG4160? For thisG3778 manG444 is a RomanG4514.” 27The commanderG5506 cameG4334 and saidG3004 to 62Paul, “TellG3004 me, are you a RomanG4514?” And he saidG5346, “YesG3483.” 28The commanderG5506 answeredG611, “I acquiredG2932 thisG3778 citizenshipG4174 for a largeG4183 sumG2774 ofG2774 moneyG2774.” And PaulG3972 saidG5346, “But I was actuallyG2532 bornG1080 a citizen.” 29ThereforeG3767, thoseG3588 who were aboutG3195 to 63interrogateG426 him immediatelyG2112 backedG868 awayG868 from him; and the commanderG5506 alsoG2532 64wasG5399 afraidG5399 when he foundG1921 outG1921 that he was a RomanG4514, and becauseG3754 he had 6566putG1210 him inG1210 chainsG1210.

30NowG1161 on the nextG1887 dayG1887, 67wantingG1014 to knowG1097 for certainG804 whyG5101 Paul had been accusedG2723 by the JewsG2453, he 68releasedG3089 him and orderedG2753 the chiefG749 priestsG749 and allG3956 69the 70CouncilG4892 to assembleG4905, and he broughtG2609 PaulG3972 downG2609 and placedG2476 him beforeG1519 them.