Acts of the Apostles 22

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 'My brothers, my fathers, listen to what I have to say to you in my defence.'	1 "My brothers and fathers, listen to what I am about to say to you in my defense."
2 When they realised he was speaking in Hebrew, the silence was even greater than before.	2 When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew they became all the more quiet. And he continued,
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 "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 I even persecuted this Way to the death and sent women as wel as men to prison in chains	4 I persecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.
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 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 '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 "On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"	7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
8 I answered, "Who are you, Lord?" and he said to me, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you arepersecuting."	8 I replied, 'Who are you, sir?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.'
9 The people with me saw the light but did not hear the voice which spoke to me.	9 My companions saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to 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 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 Since the light had been so dazzling that I was blind, I got to Damascus only because my companionsled me by the hand.	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 'Someone called Ananias, a devout fol ower of the Law and highly thought of by al the Jews livingthere,	12 "A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law, and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived 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 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 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 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 because you are to be his witness before all humanity, testifying to what you have seen and heard.	15 for you will be his witness before all to what you have seen and heard.
16 And now why delay? Hurry and be baptised and wash away your sins, cal ing on his name."	16 Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.'
17 'It happened that, when I got back to Jerusalem, and was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance	17 "After I had returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into 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 the Lord saying to me, 'Hurry, leave Jerusalem at once, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'
19 "Lord," I answered, "they know that I used to go from synagogue to synagogue, imprisoning andflogging those who believed in you;	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 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 your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself stood by giving my approval and keeping guard over the cloaks of his murderers.'
21 Then he said to me, "Go! I am sending you out to the gentiles far away." '	21 Then he said to me, 'Go, I shall send you far away to the Gentiles.'"
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 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 They were yel ing, waving their cloaks and throwing dust into the air,	23 And as they were yelling and throwing off their cloaks and flinging 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 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 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 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 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 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 So the tribune came and asked him, 'Tel me, are you a Roman citizen?' Paul answered 'Yes'.	27 Then the commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he answered.
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 The commander replied, "I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money." Paul said, "But I was born one."
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 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 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 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.