Act 22 | Murd | STEP | Brethren, and fathers, hearken to my defence before you.

‏ Acts 22

1 Brethren, and fathers, hearken to my defence before you. 2 And when they perceived that he addressed them in Hebrew, they were the more quiet: and he said to them: 3 I am a man who am a Jew; and I was born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but was brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, and instructed perfectly in the law of our fathers; and I was zealous for God, as ye also all are. 4 And I persecuted this way, even to death; for I bound, and delivered up to prison, both men and women. 5 As the high priest is my witness, and likewise all the Elders ; from whom I received letters, that I might go to the brethren in Damascus, and bring those who were there prisoners to Jerusalem, to receive capital punishment. 6 And as I travelled and began to approach Damascus, at noonday, from amidst tranquillity, a great light from heaven burst upon me. 7 And I fell to the earth: and I heard a voice, which said to me: Saul, Saul! why persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered and said: Who art thou, my Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus the Nazarean, whom thou persecutest. 9 And the men who were with me, saw the light, but heard not the voice that talked with me. 10 And I said: My Lord, what must I do? And our Lord said to me: Arise, go to Damascus; and there will be told thee, all that it is commanded thee to do. 11 And as I could see nothing, because of the glory of that light, those with me took me by the hand, and I entered Damascus. 12 And a certain man, Ananias, who was upright according to the law, as all the Jews there testified concerning him, came to me. 13 And he said to me: My brother Saul! open thine eyes. And instantly my eyes were opened; and I looked upon him. 14 And he said to me: The God of our fathers hath ordained thee to know his will, and to behold the Just One, and to hear the voice of his mouth. 15 And thou shalt be a witness for him before all men, concerning all that thou hast seen and heard. 16 And now, why delayest thou? Arise, be baptized, and be cleansed from thy sins, while thou invokest his name. 17 And I returned and came hither to Jerusalem. And I prayed in the temple. 18 And I saw him in a vision, when he said to me: Make haste, and get thee out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19 And I said: My Lord, they well know that I have delivered up to prison, and have scourged in all synagogues, those who believed in thee. 20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing with them, and performed the pleasure of his slayers, and took charge of the garments of those that stoned him. 21 But he said to me: Depart; for I send thee afar, to preach to the Gentiles. 22 And when they had heard Paul as far as this sentence, they raised their voice, and cried out: Away with such a man from the earth! for he ought not to live! 23 And as they vociferated, and cast off their garments, and threw dust into the air, 24 the Chiliarch gave orders, to carry him into the castle: and he commanded, that he should be examined with stripes; that he might know, for what cause they cried out against him. 25 And as they were stretching him with ropes, Paul said to the centurion who stood over him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man, who is a Roman, and not yet found guilty? 26 And when the centurion heard it, he went to the Chiliarch, and said to him: What doest thou? For this man is a Roman. 27 And the Chiliarch came to him, and said to him: Tell me; Art thou a Roman? And he said to him: Yes. 28 The Chiliarch replied and said to him: With much money I acquired Roman citizenship. Paul said to him: And I was born in it. 29 And immediately they who were intending to scourge him, fled from him: and the Chiliarch was afraid, when he learned that he was a Roman, because he had stretched him for scourging. 30 And the next day, he wished to know truly what the accusation was, which the Jews brought against him: and he unbound him, and commanded the chief priests, and the whole company of their head-men, to assemble; and he took Paul, and brought him down, and placed him among them.