Acts of the Apostles 22

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 'My brothers, my fathers, listen to what I have to say to you in my defence.'	1 “Noble brothers and fathers, listen to the explanation that I now give to you.”
2 When they realised he was speaking in Hebrew, the silence was even greater than before.	2 And when they heard him speaking to them in the Hebrew language, they offered a greater 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 said: “I am a Jewish man, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but raised in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, just as all of you also are to this day.
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, even unto death, binding and delivering into custody 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 just as the high priest and all those greater by birth bear witness to me. Having received letters from them to the brothers, I journeyed to Damascus, so that I might lead them bound from there to Jerusalem, so that they might 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 But it happened that, as I was traveling and was approaching Damascus at midday, suddenly from heaven a great light shone around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"	7 And falling to the ground, I 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 And I responded, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’
9 The people with me saw the light but did not hear the voice which spoke to me.	9 And those who were with me, indeed, saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of him who was speaking 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 should I do, Lord?’ Then the Lord said to me: ‘Rise up, and go to Damascus. And there, you shall be told all that you 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 since I could not see, because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by my companions, and I went to Damascus.
12 'Someone called Ananias, a devout fol ower of the Law and highly thought of by al the Jews livingthere,	12 Then a certain Ananias, a man in accord with the law, having the testimony of all the Jews who were living 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 drawing near to me and standing close by, said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see!’ And in that same hour, I 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 has preordained you, so that you would come to know his will and would see the Just One, and would 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 you shall be his witness to all men about those things which 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 And now, why do you delay? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, by 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 Then it happened that, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, a mental stupor came over me,
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 I saw him saying to me: ‘Hurry! Depart quickly from Jerusalem! For 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 And I said: ‘Lord, they know that I am beating and enclosing in prison, throughout every synagogue, those who have 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 poured out, I stood nearby and was consenting, and I watched over the garments of those who put him to death.’
21 Then he said to me, "Go! I am sending you out to the gentiles far away." '	21 And he said to me, ‘Go forth. For I am sending you to far away nations.’ ”
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 Now they were listening to him, until this word, and then they lifted up their voice, saying: “Take this kind away from the earth! For it is not fitting for him to live!”
23 They were yel ing, waving their cloaks and throwing dust into the air,	23 And while they were shouting, and tossing aside their garments, and casting 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 ordered him to be brought into the fortress, and to be scourged and tortured, in order to discover the reason that they were crying out in this way 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 tied him with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing near him, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and has not been condemned?”
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 Upon hearing this, the centurion went to the tribune and reported it to him, saying: “What do you intend 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, approaching, said to him: “Tell me. Are you a Roman?” So he said, “Yes.”
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 responded, “I obtained this citizenship at great cost.” And Paul said, “But I was born to it.”
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 Therefore, those who were going to torture him, immediately withdrew from him. The tribune was similarly afraid, after he realized that he was a Roman citizen, for 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, wanting to discover more diligently what the reason was that he was accused by the Jews, he released him, and he ordered the priests to convene, with the entire council. And, producing Paul, he stationed him among them.