Acts 22
Paul’s Defense before the Jews
1 a“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.” 2And when they heard that he was addressing them in the ▼▼ I.e. Jewish Aramaic
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cHebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said, 3 d“I am ea Jew, born in fTarsus of gCilicia, but brought up in this city, educated ▼▼ Lit at the feet of
under iGamaliel, ▼▼ Lit according to the strictness of the ancestral law
,
kstrictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as lyou all are today. 4 m“I persecuted this nWay to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, 5as also othe high priest and all pthe Council of the elders ▼▼ Lit testifies for me
can testify. From them I also rreceived letters to sthe brethren, and started off for tDamascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem ▼▼ Lit having been bound
as prisoners to be punished. 6 v“But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, 7and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8“And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am wJesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 9“And those who were with me xsaw the light, to be sure, but ydid not ▼▼ Or hear (with comprehension)
understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. 10“And I said, ‘ aaWhat shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’ 11“But since I abcould not see because of the ▼▼ Lit glory
brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus. 12“A certain adAnanias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and aewell spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘ afBrother Saul, receive your sight!’ And ▼▼ Or instantly; lit at the very hour
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ahat that very time I looked up at him. 14“And he said, ‘ aiThe God of our fathers has ajappointed you to know His will and to aksee the alRighteous One and to hear an ▼▼ Or message; lit voice
utterance from His mouth. 15‘For you will be ana witness for Him to all men of aowhat you have seen and heard. 16‘Now why do you delay? apGet up and be baptized, and aqwash away your sins, arcalling on His name.’ 17“It happened when I asreturned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I atfell into a trance, 18and I saw Him saying to me, ‘ auMake haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ 19“And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another avI used to imprison and awbeat those who believed in You. 20‘And axwhen the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’ 21“And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away ayto the Gentiles.’” 22They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, az“Away with such a fellow from the earth, for bahe should not be allowed to live!” 23And as they were crying out and bbthrowing off their cloaks and bctossing dust into the air, 24the ▼▼ I.e. chiliarch, in command of one thousand troops
commander ordered him to be brought into bethe barracks, stating that he should be bfexamined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25But when they stretched him out ▼▼ Or for the whip
with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it ▼▼ Interrogation by torture was a procedure used with slaves
lawful for you to scourge bia man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26When the centurion heard this, he went to the ▼▼ V 24, note 1
commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27The ▼▼ V 24, note 1
commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28The ▼▼ V 24, note 1
commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.” 29Therefore those who were about to bmexamine him immediately ▼▼ Lit withdrew from
let go of him; and the ▼▼ V 24, note 1
commander also bpwas afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had ▼▼ Lit bound him
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brput him in chains. 30But on the next day, bswishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he btreleased him and ordered the chief priests and all buthe ▼▼ Or Sanhedrin
Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them.
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