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22 “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I am now making before you.” When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet, and he continued:

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia but raised in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the strict ways of our ancestral Law. I am as zealous for God as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way, even executing people,[a] and kept tying up both men and women and putting them in prison, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. I also received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, and I was going there to tie up those who were there and bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished.

“But while I was on my way and approaching Damascus about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?’

“I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’[b]

“He told me, ‘I’m Jesus from Nazareth,[c] whom you are persecuting.’ The men who were with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

10 “Then I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’

“The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are destined to do.’ 11 Since I could not see because of the brightness of the light, the men who were with me took me by the hand and led me into Damascus.

12 “A certain Ananias, who was a devout man with respect to the Law and who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there, 13 came to me. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ At that moment I could see him.

14 “Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear his own voice,[d] 15 because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.’

17 “Then I returned to Jerusalem. While I was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord[e] saying to me, ‘Hurry up and get out of Jerusalem at once, because the people[f] won’t accept your testimony about me.’

19 “I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I kept imprisoning and beating those who believe in you. 20 Even when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing there, approving it and guarding the coats of those who were killing him.’

21 “Then he told me, ‘Go, because I’ll send you far away to the gentiles.’

22 Up to this point they listened to him, but then they began to shout, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! He’s not fit to go on living!” 23 While they were yelling, tossing their coats around, and throwing dirt into the air, 24 the tribune ordered Paul[g] to be taken into the barracks and told the soldiers[h] to beat and question him in order to find out why the people[i] were yelling at him like this.

25 But when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul asked the centurion[j] who was standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t been condemned?”

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and told him, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”

27 So the tribune went and asked Paul,[k] “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes,” he said.

28 Then the tribune replied, “I paid a lot of money for this citizenship of mine.”

Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.” 29 Immediately those who were about to examine him stepped back, and the tribune was afraid when he found out that Paul[l] was a Roman citizen and that he had tied him up.

Paul is Brought before the Jewish Council

30 The next day, since the tribune[m] wanted to find out exactly what Paul[n] was being accused of by the Jews, he released him and ordered the high priests and the entire Council[o] to meet. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 22:4 The Gk. lacks people
  2. Acts 22:8 Or Sir
  3. Acts 22:8 Or Jesus the Nazarene; the Gk. Nazoraios may be a word play between Heb. netser, meaning branch (cf. Isa 11:1), and the name Nazareth.
  4. Acts 22:14 Lit. the voice of his mouth
  5. Acts 22:18 Lit. him
  6. Acts 22:18 Lit. they
  7. Acts 22:24 Lit. him
  8. Acts 22:24 Lit. them
  9. Acts 22:24 Lit. why they
  10. Acts 22:25 A Roman centurion commanded about 100 men.
  11. Acts 22:27 Lit. him
  12. Acts 22:29 Lit. he
  13. Acts 22:30 Lit. he
  14. Acts 22:30 Lit. he
  15. Acts 22:30 Or Sanhedrin

22  My brothers anēr and kai fathers patēr, listen akouō now nyni to me egō · ho as I make my defense apologia to pros you hymeis.” And de when they heard akouō that hoti he was addressing prosphōneō them autos in the ho Hebrew Hebrais language dialektos, they became parechō even more mallon quiet hēsychia. And kai he said phēmi: I egō am eimi a Jewish Ioudaios man anēr, born gennaō in en Tarsus Tarsos of ho Cilicia Kilikia, but de brought anatrephō up in en · ho this houtos city polis at para the ho feet pous of Gamaliel Gamaliēl, educated paideuō according kata to the strictness akribeia of the ho ancestral patrōos law nomos, being hyparchō zealous zēlōtēs for ho God theos just kathōs as you hymeis all pas are eimi today sēmeron. I persecuted diōkō the followers of this houtos · ho Way hodos even to achri their death thanatos, putting desmeuō in chains both te men anēr and kai women gynē and kai delivering paradidōmi them to eis prison phylakē, as hōs also kai the ho high archiereus priest and kai the whole pas · ho council of elders presbyterion can bear martyreō me egō witness martyreō. From para them hos · kai I received dechomai letters epistolē to pros the ho brothers adelphos, and I went poreuō toward eis Damascus Damaskos to take agō those ho also kai who were eimi there ekeise and bring deō them in bonds to eis Jerusalem Ierousalēm to hina be punished timōreō. · de As I egō journeyed poreuō and kai came engizō near to ho Damascus Damaskos, about peri noon mesēmbria suddenly exaiphnēs out ek of · ho heaven ouranos flashed periastraptō a brilliant hikanos light phōs all around peri me egō. I fell piptō to eis the ho ground edaphos and kai heard akouō a voice phōnē saying legō to me egō, ‘ Saul Saoul, Saul Saoul, why tis are you persecuting diōkō me egō?’ And de I egō answered apokrinomai, ‘ Who tis are eimi you , Lord kyrios?’ And te he said legō to pros me egō, ‘ I egō am eimi Jesus Iēsous of ho Nazareth Nazōraios, whom hos you sy are persecuting diōkō.’ Now de those ho who were eimi with syn me egō saw theaomai the ho light phōs but de did akouō not ou understand akouō the ho voice phōnē of the ho one who was speaking laleō to me egō. 10 And de I said legō, ‘ What tis shall I do poieō, Lord kyrios?’ And de the ho Lord kyrios said legō to pros me egō, ‘ Get anistēmi up and go poreuō on into eis Damascus Damaskos, and there kakei it will be told laleō you sy about peri all pas that hos has been assigned tassō to you sy to do poieō.’ 11 Since hōs · de I could not ou see emblepō due apo to the ho brilliance doxa of ho that ekeinos light phōs, being led cheiragōgeō by the hand by hypo those ho who were with syneimi me egō, I went erchomai to eis Damascus Damaskos.

12  Then de a certain tis Ananias Hananias, a devout eulabēs man anēr according kata to the ho law nomos, well martyreō spoken of by hypo all pas the ho Jews Ioudaios who lived katoikeō there, 13 came erchomai to pros me egō, and kai standing ephistēmi there said legō to me egō, ‘ Brother adelphos Saul Saoul, recover anablepō your sight .’ And kagō at that ho very autos hour hōra I recovered my sight and saw anablepō eis him autos. 14 And de he ho said legō, ‘ The ho God theos of ho our hēmeis fathers patēr has chosen procheirizō you sy to know ginōskō · ho his autos will thelēma, · kai to see the ho Righteous dikaios One and kai to hear akouō a voice phōnē from ek · ho his autos mouth stoma. 15 For hoti you will be eimi a witness martys for him autos to pros everyone pas anthrōpos of what hos you have seen horaō and kai heard akouō. 16 And kai now nyn why tis are you waiting mellō? Rise anistēmi and be baptized baptizō and kai wash apolouō away · ho your sy sins hamartia, calling epikaleō on · ho his autos name onoma.’ 17 · de When I egō had returned hypostrephō to eis Jerusalem Ierousalēm and kai I egō was praying proseuchomai in en the ho temple hieron, I egō fell ginomai into en a trance ekstasis 18 and kai I saw him autos saying legō to me egō, ‘ Make speudō haste and kai get exerchomai out of ek Jerusalem Ierousalēm quickly en tachos, because dioti they will not ou accept paradechomai your sy testimony martyria about peri me egō.’ 19 And kagō I said legō, ‘ Lord kyrios, they themselves autos know epistamai that hoti I egō used eimi to go from one synagogue to another kata imprisoning phylakizō and kai flogging derō · ho those ho who believed pisteuō in epi you sy. 20 And kai when hote the ho blood haima of Stephen Stephanos, · ho your sy witness martys, was being shed ekchunnomai, · kai I myself autos was eimi standing ephistēmi by · kai approving syneudokeō and kai guarding phylassō the ho cloaks himation of those ho who were killing anaireō him autos.’ 21 And kai he said legō to pros me egō, ‘ Go poreuō, for hoti I egō will send exapostellō you sy far away makran to eis the Gentiles ethnos.’”

22 They listened akouō to · de him autos until achri this houtos · ho word logos, but kai then they raised epairō · ho their autos voices phōnē saying legō, “ Away airō with such a fellow toioutos from apo the ho earth , · ho for gar it is not ou right kathēkō for him autos to live zaō!” 23 While they autos were crying kraugazō out and kai throwing rhipteō off their ho cloaks himation and kai flinging ballō dust koniortos in eis the ho air aēr, 24 the ho commanding officer chiliarchos ordered keleuō Paul autos to be brought eisagō back into eis the ho barracks parembolē, saying legō that he autos should be examined anetazō with whips mastix so hina that he might know epiginōskō the hos reason aitia why dia they were shouting epiphōneō at him autos that way houtōs. 25 But de when hōs they had stretched proteinō him autos out for the ho lash himas, Paul Paulos said legō to pros the ho centurion hekatontarchēs standing histēmi by , · ho “Is it lawful for you hymeis to flog mastizō a man anthrōpos who is a Roman Rhōmaios citizen and kai uncondemned akatakritos?” 26 When the ho centurion hekatontarchēs heard akouō · de this, he went proserchomai and reported apangellō to the ho commanding chiliarchos officer , saying legō, “ What tis are you about mellō to do poieō? · ho For gar this houtos man anthrōpos is eimi a Roman Rhōmaios citizen .” 27 The ho commanding officer chiliarchos came proserchomai to · de him autos and said legō, “ Tell legō me egō, are eimi you sy a Roman Rhōmaios citizen ?” He ho · de replied phēmi, “ Yes nai.” 28 The ho commanding officer chiliarchos answered apokrinomai, · de I egō obtained ktaomai this houtos citizenship politeia with a large polys sum kephalaion of money .” · ho · ho · de Paul Paulos answered phēmi, “ But de I egō was even kai born gennaō one.” 29 Immediately eutheōs those ho who were about mellō to examine anetazō him autos drew back aphistēmi from apo him autos; and kai the ho commanding chiliarchos officer · de was afraid phobeomai, realizing epiginōskō that hoti Paul was eimi a Roman Rhōmaios citizen and kai that hoti he had eimi bound deō him autos.

30 But de on the ho next epaurion day , wanting boulomai to know ginōskō · ho for sure asphalēs · ho what tis was the accusation katēgoreō being made against him by hypo the ho Jews Ioudaios, he released lyō him autos and kai ordered keleuō the ho chief archiereus priests and kai all pas the ho council synedrion to meet synerchomai, and kai he brought katagō · ho Paul Paulos down and set histēmi him before eis them autos.