Acts 22
1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I am now making before you.”ISV — Acts 22:1
2 When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet, and he continued:ISV — Acts 22:2
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia but raised in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the strict ways of our ancestral Law. I am as zealous for God as all of you are today.ISV — Acts 22:3
4 I persecuted this Way, even executing people, and kept tying up both men and women and putting them in prison,ISV — Acts 22:4
5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. I also received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, and I was going there to tie up those who were there and bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished.ISV — Acts 22:5
6 “But while I was on my way and approaching Damascus about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.ISV — Acts 22:6
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?’ISV — Acts 22:7
8 “I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He told me, ‘I’m Jesus from Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ISV — Acts 22:8
9 The men who were with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.ISV — Acts 22:9
10 “Then I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ “The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are destined to do.’ISV — Acts 22:10
11 Since I could not see because of the brightness of the light, the men who were with me took me by the hand and led me into Damascus.ISV — Acts 22:11
12 “A certain Ananias, who was a devout man with respect to the Law and who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,ISV — Acts 22:12
13 came to me. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ At that moment I could see him.ISV — Acts 22:13
14 “Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear his own voice, ISV — Acts 22:14
15 because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.ISV — Acts 22:15
16 So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.’ISV — Acts 22:16
17 “Then I returned to Jerusalem. While I was praying in the Temple, I fell into a tranceISV — Acts 22:17
18 and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry up and get out of Jerusalem at once, because the people won’t accept your testimony about me.’ISV — Acts 22:18
19 “I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I kept imprisoning and beating those who believe in you.ISV — Acts 22:19
20 Even when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing there, approving it and guarding the coats of those who were killing him.’ISV — Acts 22:20
21 “Then he told me, ‘Go, because I’ll send you far away to the gentiles.’”ISV — Acts 22:21
22 Up to this point they listened to him, but then they began to shout, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! He’s not fit to go on living!”ISV — Acts 22:22
23 While they were yelling, tossing their coats around, and throwing dirt into the air,ISV — Acts 22:23
24 the tribune ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks and told the soldiers to beat and question him in order to find out why the people were yelling at him like this.ISV — Acts 22:24
25 But when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul asked the centurion who was standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t been condemned?”ISV — Acts 22:25
26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and told him, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”ISV — Acts 22:26
27 So the tribune went and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he said.ISV — Acts 22:27
28 Then the tribune replied, “I paid a lot of money for this citizenship of mine.” Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”ISV — Acts 22:28
29 Immediately those who were about to examine him stepped back, and the tribune was afraid when he found out that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had tied him up.ISV — Acts 22:29
30 The next day, since the tribune wanted to find out exactly what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, he released him and ordered the high priests and the entire Council to meet. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.ISV — Acts 22:30