Acts 22

1“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

2When they heard him addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter. Then Paul 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, strictly according to the law of our ancestors, and I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.

4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding both men and women and putting them in prison,

5as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I even received letters to our brothers in Damascus, and I went there to bring those who were there to Jerusalem in chains to be punished.

6As I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.

7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

8I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

9Those who were with me saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

10I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus. There you will be told everything that has been assigned for you to do.’

11Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me led me by the hand, and I came into Damascus.

12A man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law, who was highly respected by all the Jews living there,

13came to me, stood beside me, and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him.

14Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth,

15for you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.

16And now why are you waiting? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

17After I returned to Jerusalem, while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance

18and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’

19I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in synagogue after synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.

20And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself was standing there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

21Then he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

22The crowd listened to him up to this point. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of such a man! He should not be allowed to live!”

23While they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and flinging dust into the air,

24the commander ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks. He directed that he be questioned under the whip, to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.

25But when they had stretched him out for the lashes, Paul said to the centurion who was standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and has not even been found guilty?”

26When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you about to do?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27The commander came and said to Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” He answered, “Yes.”

28The commander replied, “I paid a large sum of money for this citizenship.” Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”

29Immediately those who were about to question him backed away from him. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had put him in chains.

30The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to meet. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.