Acts 22

Paul spoke to the crowd in Hebrew, telling them of his conversion on the road to Damascus and his commission to preach to the Gentiles. The crowd listened until he mentioned the Gentiles, then cried out for his death. The chief captain ordered him to be examined by scourging, but Paul revealed his Roman citizenship and was spared.

v	King James Version	Modern English
1	Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.	"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense I now make before you."
2	(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)	When they heard him speak to them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter. He said,
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.	"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel and trained thoroughly in the law of our fathers. I was just as zealous for God as all of you are today.
4	And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.	I persecuted the followers of this Way to the death, binding and delivering both men and women to prison.
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.	The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify to this. I also received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus. I went there to arrest those people and bring them back to Jerusalem 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.	As I was traveling and approaching Damascus, around noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.
7	And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?	I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'
8	And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.	I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom You are persecuting.'
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.	My companions saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the One speaking 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.	I asked, 'What shall I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Get up and go into Damascus. There You will be told everything You are appointed 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.	Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand of those who were with me into Damascus.
12	And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,	A man named Ananias, a devout man according to the law who had a good reputation among all the Jews living 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.	came to me, stood beside me, and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' That very hour I was able to see 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.	He said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear his voice.
15	For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.	For you will be His witness to all people of what you have 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.	Now, why do you wait? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'
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;	When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into 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.	and saw the Lord saying to me, 'Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'
19	And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:	I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You in every synagogue.
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.	And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I myself was standing by, approving of his death, and keeping the clothes of those who were killing him.'
21	And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.	But He said to me, 'Go, for I will send you far away to 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.	The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Away with such a man from the earth! He is not fit to live!"
23	And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,	As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and hurling 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.	the commander ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks. He directed that he be examined by flogging so he could find out why they were shouting against him like this.
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?	As they stretched him out for the flogging, Paul said to the centurion standing nearby, "Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen who has not been condemned?"
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.	When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and said, "Be careful what you do. This man is a Roman citizen."
27	Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.	The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me — are you a Roman citizen?" Paul said, "Yes."
28	And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.	The commander replied, "I paid a large sum for my citizenship." Paul said, "But I was born a citizen."
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.	Those who were about to question him withdrew at once. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had put him in chains.
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.	The next day, wanting to find out the real reason Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council to assemble. He brought Paul down and set him before them.