1THE
ACTS
OF THE APOSTLES
WRITTEN BY
2LUKE
Acts 22 ©
1 Paul makes his defense before the people. 3 And relates that he was a Jew, brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. 4 And that he, being zealous for the law, persecuted the Christians even unto Damascus. 6 Afterwards how he was wonderfully called and converted by Christ out of heaven. 12 And being further informed by Ananias concerning his calling to the apostleship, was baptized by him. 17 And how Christ, by a vision in the temple at Jerusalem, appeared to him again, and sent him to the Gentiles. 22 Which words, the Jews hearing, made a new uproar and cried out that he ought not to live. 24 Wherefore the commander causes him to be bound that he might be scourged. 25 But seeing he appeals to his right of citizenship of Rome, the same is omitted. 30 And be set before the council of the Jews.
MEN, 1brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
(And when they heard that he spake in the 2Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
Ia am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city 3at the feet of Gamaliel,b and taught according to 4the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was 5zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
Andc I persecuted 6this way 7unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estated of the elders: from whom also I received letters 8unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
Ande9it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenlyf there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
And they that were with me saw indeed the light, andg were afraid; but they 10heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
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.
And when I could not see 11for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
Andh one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
12Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, 13receive thy sight. And the same hour 14I looked up upon him.
And he said, The God of our fathers hath 15chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see 16that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away 17thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Andi it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in 18a trance;
And saw him saying unto me, 19Makej haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
And I said, Lord, they know thatk I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
Andl when the blood of thy 20martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
And he said unto me, Depart: form I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
And they gave him audience 21unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Awayn with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
And as they cried out, and cast off their 22clothes, and threw 23dust into the air,
The 24chief captain commanded him to be brought into 25the castle, and badeo that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
And as they bound him 26with thongs,p Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is 27a Roman, and 28uncondemned?
When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free 29born.
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.
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 30brought Paul down, and set him before them.