Acts 22Book 44 of 66 · 30 verses · MBT primary, NKJV fallback where MBT pending
“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter; and he said:
“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as all of you are today.
I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons,
as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me; after I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.
“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.
And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’
And those who were with me indeed saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.
So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.’
And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus.
“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good reputation with all the Jews living there,
came to me and standing by me said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I looked up at him.
Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the words from his mouth;
for you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.
And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance
and saw him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.
And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.
Then He said to me, 'Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'
And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!'
Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,
the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.
And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, 'Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?'
When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, 'Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman citizen.'
Then the commander came and said to him, 'Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?' He said, 'Yes.'
The commander answered, 'With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.' And Paul said, 'But I was born a citizen.'
Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman citizen, and because he had bound him.
The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.