Acts of the Apostles 22

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 'My brothers, my fathers, listen to what I have to say to you in my defence.'	1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye the account which I now give unto you.
2 When they realised he was speaking in Hebrew, the silence was even greater than before.	2 (And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence.)
3 'I am a Jew', Paul said, 'and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. It wasunder Gamaliel that I studied and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors. In fact, I was asful of duty towards God as you al are today.	3 And he saith: I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, as also all you are this day:
4 I even persecuted this Way to the death and sent women as wel as men to prison in chains	4 Who persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify. I even received letters from them to thebrothers in Damascus, which I took with me when I set off to bring prisoners back from there to Jerusalem forpunishment.	5 As the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the ancients: from whom also receiving letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus, that I might bring them bound from thence to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 'It happened that I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when in the middle of the day a brightlight from heaven suddenly shone round me.	6 And it came to pass, as I was going, and drawing nigh to Damascus at midday, that suddenly from heaven there shone round about me a great light:
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"	7 And falling on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 I answered, "Who are you, Lord?" and he said to me, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you arepersecuting."	8 And I answered: Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 The people with me saw the light but did not hear the voice which spoke to me.	9 And they that were with me, saw indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spoke with me.
10 I said, "What am I to do, Lord?" The Lord answered, "Get up and go into Damascus, and there youwil be told what you have been appointed to do."	10 And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise, and go to Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things that thou must do.
11 Since the light had been so dazzling that I was blind, I got to Damascus only because my companionsled me by the hand.	11 And whereas I did not see for the brightness of that light, being led by the hand by my companions, I came to Damascus.
12 'Someone called Ananias, a devout fol ower of the Law and highly thought of by al the Jews livingthere,	12 And one Ananias, a man according to the law, having testimony of all the Jews who dwelt there,
13 came to see me; he stood beside me and said, "Brother Saul, receive your sight." Instantly my sightcame back and I was able to see him.	13 Coming to me, and standing by me, said to me: Brother Saul, look up. And I the same hour looked upon him.
14 Then he said, "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Upright One andhear his own voice speaking,	14 But he said: The God of our fathers hath preordained thee that thou shouldst know his will, and see the Just One, and shouldst hear the voice from his mouth.
15 because you are to be his witness before all humanity, testifying to what you have seen and heard.	15 For thou shalt be his witness to all men, of those things which thou hast seen and heard.
16 And now why delay? Hurry and be baptised and wash away your sins, cal ing on his name."	16 And now why tarriest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, invoking his name.
17 'It happened that, when I got back to Jerusalem, and was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance	17 And it came to pass, when I was come again to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance,
18 and then I saw him. "Hurry," he said, "leave Jerusalem at once; they wil not accept the testimony you are giving about me."	18 And saw him saying unto me: Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19 "Lord," I answered, "they know that I used to go from synagogue to synagogue, imprisoning andflogging those who believed in you;	19 And I said: Lord, they know that I cast into prison, and beat in every synagogue, them that believed in thee.
20 and that when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I, too, was standing by, in fullagreement with his murderers, and in charge of their clothes."	20 And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I stood by and consented, and kept the garments of them that killed him.
21 Then he said to me, "Go! I am sending you out to the gentiles far away." '	21 And he said to me: Go, for unto the Gentiles afar off, will I send thee.
22 So far they had listened to him, but at these words they began to shout, 'Rid the earth of the man! Heis not fit to live!'	22 And they heard him until this word, and then lifted up their voice, saying: Away with such an one from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.
23 They were yel ing, waving their cloaks and throwing dust into the air,	23 And as they cried out and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,
24 and so the tribune had him brought into the fortress and ordered him to be examined under the lash,to find out the reason for the outcry against him.	24 The tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and that he should be scourged and tortured: to know for what cause they did so cry out against him.
25 But when they had strapped him down Paul said to the centurion on duty, 'Is it legal for you to flog aman who is a Roman citizen and has not been brought to trial?'	25 And when they had bound him with thongs, Paul saith to the centurion that stood by him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 When he heard this the centurion went and told the tribune; 'Do you realise what you are doing?' hesaid. 'This man is a Roman citizen.'	26 Which the centurion hearing, went to the tribune, and told him, saying: What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.
27 So the tribune came and asked him, 'Tel me, are you a Roman citizen?' Paul answered 'Yes'.	27 And the tribune coming, said to him: Tell me, art thou a Roman? But he said: Yea.
28 To this the tribune replied, 'It cost me a large sum to acquire this citizenship.' 'But I was born to it,'said Paul.	28 And the tribune answered: I obtained the being free of this city with a great sum. And Paul said: But I was born so.
29 Then those who were about to examine him hurriedly withdrew, and the tribune himself was alarmedwhen he realised that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.	29 Immediately therefore they departed from him that were about to torture him. The tribune also was afraid after he understood that he was a Roman citizen, and because he had bound him.
30 The next day, since he wanted to know for sure what charge the Jews were bringing, he freed Pauland gave orders for a meeting of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin; then he brought Paul down and sethim in front of them.	30 But on the next day, meaning to know more diligently for what cause he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the priests to come together, and all the council: and bringing forth Paul, he set him before them.