Acts 22

1Men, brothers and fathers, listen to my defense to you now.

2When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more silent. And he said,

3I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, trained according to the precision of our ancestral law, being zealous for God as you all are today.

4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering men as well as women into prisons.

5As also the high priest and all the council of elders bear witness to me, from whom I also received letters to the brothers and journeyed to Damascus to bring even those who were there, bound, to Jerusalem so they might be punished.

6It happened to me, as I journeyed and drew near to Damascus about noon, that suddenly from heaven a great light shone around me.

7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?'

8I replied, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said to me, “I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you persecute.”

9Those who were with me saw the light, indeed, but they did not hear the voice of the one speaking to me.

10I said, "What shall I do, Lord?" The Lord said to me, "Arise, go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything appointed for you to do."

11But when I could not see because of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

12Ananias, a certain devout man in keeping with the law, commended by all the Jews living there.

13He came to me and stood by me and said, "Saul, brother, look up!" And in that hour I looked up at him.

14He said, “The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.”

15For you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.

16And now, why are you hesitating? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on his name.

17When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance.

18I saw him saying to me, “Hurry and go out from Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.”

19And I said, "Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those who believed in you."

20And when the blood of Stephen your witness was poured out, I myself was standing nearby, consenting and guarding the garments of those killing him.

21And he said to me, "Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles."

22They kept listening to him until this word, then raised their voices, shouting, "Take such a one from the earth, for it is not proper for him to live."

23As they shouted and flung their garments and hurled dust into the air,

24The captain commanded him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be examined by scourging, so he might ascertain for what cause they were crying out against him that way.

25When they stretched him out with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?"

26When the centurion heard, he approached the captain and reported, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman."

27The commander came to him and said, "Say to me, are you a Roman?" He replied, "Yes."

28The captain answered, “I acquired this citizenship for a large sum.” But Paul said, “Even I was born a citizen.”

29Immediately those about to examine him withdrew from him, and the tribune also feared upon realizing that he was a Roman and that he had bound him.

30But on the next day, wanting to know for certain why he is accused by the Jews, he freed him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to assemble, and having brought Paul down, he set him before them.