Acts of the Apostles 22

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.	1 "My brothers and fathers, listen to what I am about to say to you in my defense."
2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)	2 When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew they became all the more quiet. And he continued,
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.	3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.	4 I persecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them 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.	5 Even the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify on my behalf. For from them I even received letters to the brothers and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment those there as well.
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.	6 "On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?	7 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.	8 I replied, 'Who are you, sir?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazorean 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.	9 My companions saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke 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.	10 I asked, 'What shall I do, sir?' The Lord answered me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything appointed for you 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.	11 Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light, I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.
12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,	12 "A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law, and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived 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.	13 came to me and stood there and said, 'Saul, my brother, regain your sight.' And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw 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.	14 Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.	15 for you will be his witness before all to 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.	16 Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon 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;	17 "After I had returned to Jerusalem and while I 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.	18 and saw the Lord saying to me, 'Hurry, leave Jerusalem at once, 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:	19 But I replied, 'Lord, they themselves know that from synagogue to synagogue I used to imprison and beat those who believed in you.
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.	20 And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself stood by giving my approval and keeping guard over the cloaks of his murderers.'
21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.	21 Then he said to me, 'Go, I shall 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.	22 They listened to him until he said this, but then they raised their voices and shouted, "Take such a one as this away from the earth. It is not right that he should live."
23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,	23 And as they were yelling and throwing off their cloaks and flinging 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.	24 the cohort commander ordered him to be brought into the compound and gave instruction that he be interrogated under the lash to determine the reason why they were making such an outcry 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?	25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion on duty, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and has not been tried?"
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.	26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the cohort commander and reported it, saying, "What are you going to 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.	27 Then the commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he answered.
28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.	28 The commander replied, "I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money." Paul said, "But I was born one."
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.	29 At once those who were going to interrogate him backed away from him, and the commander became alarmed when he realized that he was a Roman citizen and that he had had him bound.
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.	30 The next day, wishing to determine the truth about why he was being accused by the Jews, he freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.