Acts 22
1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
2 When they heard him speaking to them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter. And he said:
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel, according to the strictness of the law of our fathers, and I am zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
4 I persecuted this Way to the point of death, binding and handing over to prison both men and women.
5 The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify to this on my behalf. I received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus and went there to bring back in chains to Jerusalem for punishment those who were there as well.
6 As I was traveling and nearing Damascus, around noon, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’
9 Those who were with me saw the light, but did not hear the voice of the one speaking to me.
10 I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been appointed for you to do.’
11 Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me led me by the hand, and I arrived in Damascus.”
12 “A certain Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, well spoken of by all the Jews living there,
13 came to me, stood beside me, and said, ‘Saul, brother, receive your sight.’ And at that very moment I received my sight and looked at him.
14 He said, ‘The God of our fathers chose you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
15 For you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.
16 And now, why are you waiting? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
17 “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance.
18 I saw him, and he was saying to me, ‘Hurry and leave Jerusalem at once, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
19 I said, ‘Lord, they know that I used to imprison and beat in the synagogues those who believe in you.
20 When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was being shed, I too was standing by, approving and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 They listened to him up to this point; then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of a man like this! He should not be allowed to live.”
23 As they shouted, threw off their clothes, and tossed dust into the air,
24 the commander ordered him to be taken into the barracks and directed that he be interrogated under flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this.
25 As they stretched him out with the straps, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen, and one who has not been convicted?”
26 When he heard this, the centurion went to the commander and reported, “What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen.”
27 The commander came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” He replied, “Yes.”
28 The commander said, “I acquired this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul replied, “But I was born with it.”
29 At once, those who were about to interrogate him drew back; and the commander himself was afraid when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had ordered him bound.
30 The next day, wanting to know for certain what the Jews were accusing him of, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and set him before them.
Read and listen to this chapter in the Shalem app, free: narration, chapter video and reading progress. Get the app