“1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence [which I make] now
unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to
them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)”
“3 I am verily a man [which am] a Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in
Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, [and]
taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and
was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 4 And I persecuted this
way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and
women. 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the
estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the
brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound
unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 6 And it came to pass, that, as I
made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly
there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto
the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said
unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9 And they that
were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not
the voice of him that spake to me. 10 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. 11
And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the
hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 And one Ananias,
a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews
which dwelt [there], 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me,
Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou
shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the
voice of his mouth. 15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of
what thou hast seen and heard. 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and
be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 17
And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even
while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18 And saw him saying
unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they
will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19 And I said, Lord, they
know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on
thee: 20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was
standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them
that slew him. 21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far
hence unto the Gentiles.”
“22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and [then] lifted up
their voices, and said, Away with such a [fellow] from the earth: for it
is not fit that he should live. 23 And as they cried out, and cast off
[their] clothes, and threw dust into the air, 24 The chief captain
commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be
examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so
against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the
centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a
Roman, and uncondemned? 26 When the centurion heard [that], he went and
told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man
is a Roman. 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me,
art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28 And the chief captain answered, With
a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was [free]
born. 29 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. 30 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 brought Paul down, and set him before
them.” (Acts 22:1-30 AV)
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