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Acts 21:37-22:21
New International Version
Acts 21:37-22:21
New International Version
Paul Speaks to the Crowd(A)
37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks,(B) he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”
“Do you speak Greek?” he replied. 38 “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness(C) some time ago?”(D)
39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus(E) in Cilicia,(F) a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”
40 After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned(G) to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic[a]:(H) 22 1 “Brothers and fathers,(I) listen now to my defense.”
2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,(J) they became very quiet.
Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew,(K) born in Tarsus(L) of Cilicia,(M) but brought up in this city. I studied under(N) Gamaliel(O) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.(P) I was just as zealous(Q) for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted(R) the followers of this Way(S) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,(T) 5 as the high priest and all the Council(U) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates(V) in Damascus,(W) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.(X) 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’
8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,(Y) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light,(Z) but they did not understand the voice(AA) of him who was speaking to me.
10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’(AB) 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.(AC)
12 “A man named Ananias came to see me.(AD) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.(AE) 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors(AF) has chosen you to know his will and to see(AG) the Righteous One(AH) and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness(AI) to all people of what you have seen(AJ) and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized(AK) and wash your sins away,(AL) calling on his name.’(AM)
17 “When I returned to Jerusalem(AN) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance(AO) 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’
19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison(AP) and beat(AQ) those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr[b] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’(AR)
21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”(AS)
Footnotes
- Acts 21:40 Or possibly Hebrew; also in 22:2
- Acts 22:20 Or witness
Acts 21:37-22:21
Christian Standard Bible
Acts 21:37-22:21
Christian Standard Bible
Paul’s Defense before the Jerusalem Mob
37 As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?”
He replied, “You know how to speak Greek? 38 Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led four thousand men of the Assassins into the wilderness?” (A)
39 Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia,(B) a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”
40 After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in Aramaic:[a](C)
22 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” 2 When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic,[b] they became even quieter.(D) 3 He(E) continued, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel(F) according to the strictness of our ancestral law. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.(G) 4 I persecuted this Way(H) to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail,(I) 5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.(J)
Paul’s Testimony
6 “As(K) I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly 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 of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light,[c] but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.(L)
10 “I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’
“The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.’
11 “Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of the light,[d] I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus.(M) 12 Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good reputation with all the Jews living there,(N) 13 came and stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him. 14 And he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has appointed(O) you to know his will, to see(P) the Righteous One,(Q) and to hear the words from his mouth, 15 since you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.(R) 16 And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins,(S) calling on his name.’(T)
17 “After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance(U) 18 and saw him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
19 “But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten.(V) 20 And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval[e] and guarding the clothes of those who killed him.’(W)
21 “He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”(X)
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
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