Acts 22
1. Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye * my defence which I make now unto you.
2. (And when they heard * that he spake * in the Hebrew tongue to them,they kept * the more silence: and he saith * ,)
3. I am * verily a man which am a Jew, born * in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up * in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught * according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers,and was * zealous toward God, as ye all are * this day.
4. And I persecuted * this way unto the death, binding * and delivering * into prisons both men and women.
5. As also the high priest doth bear * me witness * , and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received * letters unto the brethren, and went * to Damascus, to bring * them which were * there bound * unto Jerusalem, for to be punished * .
6. And it came to pass * , that, as I made * my journey * , and was come nigh * unto Damascus about noon,suddenly there shone * from heaven a great light round * about me.
7. And I fell * unto the ground, and heard * a voice saying * unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou * me?
8. And I answered * , Who art thou * , Lord? And he said * unto me, I am * Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest * .
9. And they that were * with me saw * indeed the light, and were * afraid; but they heard * not the voice of him that spake * to me.
10. And I said * , What shall I do * , Lord? And the Lord said * unto me, Arise * , and go * into Damascus; and there it shall be told * thee of all things which are appointed * for thee to do * .
11. And when I could * not see * for the glory of that light, being led by the hand * of them that were * with me, I came * into Damascus.
12. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report * of all the Jews which dwelt * there,
13. Came * unto me, and stood * , and said * unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight * . And * the same hour I looked up * upon him.
14. And he said * , The God of our fathers hath chosen * thee, that thou shouldest know * his will, and see * that Just One, and shouldest hear * the voice of his mouth.
15. For thou shalt be * his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen * and heard * .
16. And now why tarriest thou * ? arise * , and be baptized * , and wash away * thy sins, calling on * the name of the Lord.
17. And it came to pass * , that, when I was come again * to Jerusalem,even while I prayed * in the temple, I was * in a trance;
18. And saw * him saying * unto me, Make haste * , and get thee * quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will * not receive * thy testimony concerning me.
19. And I said * , Lord, they know * that I imprisoned * and beat * in every synagogue them that believed * on thee:
20. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed * , I also was * standing by * , and consenting * unto his death, and kept * the raiment of them that slew * him.
21. And he said * unto me,Depart * : for I will send * thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
22. And they gave * him audience * unto this word, and then lifted up * their voices, and said * , Away with * such a fellow from the earth: for it is * not fit * that he should live * .
23. And as they cried out * , and cast off * their clothes, and threw * dust into the air,
24. The chief captain commanded * him to be brought * into the castle, and bade * that he should be examined * by scourging; that he might know * wherefore they cried * so against * him.
25. And as they bound * him with thongs, Paul said * unto the centurion that stood by * , Is it lawful * for you to scourge * a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26. When the centurion heard * that, he went * and told * the chief captain, saying * , Take heed * what thou doest * : for this man is * a Roman.
27. Then the chief captain came * , and said * unto him, Tell * me, art * thou a Roman? He said * , Yea.
28. And the chief captain answered * , With a great sum obtained * I this freedom. And Paul said * , But I was free born * .
29. Then straightway they departed * from him which should * have examined * him: and the chief captain also was afraid * , after he knew * that he was * a Roman, and because he had * bound * him.
30. On the morrow, because * he would * have known * the certainty wherefore he was accused * of the Jews, he loosed * him from his bands, and commanded * the chief priests and all their council to appear * , and brought * Paul down * , and set him * before them.
