{"book":"Acts","slug":"acts","ch":22,"genre":"prose","sub":"The Acts of the Apostles","prev":"acts/21","next":"acts/23","verses":[{"v":1,"t":"“ Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”","f":[],"h":"Paul’s Defense to the Crowd","style":"reg"},{"v":2,"t":"[When] they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then [Paul] declared,","f":["Or in Aramaic; literally in the Hebrew language"],"lines":[{"style":"","t":"[When] they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet."},{"style":"reg","t":"Then [Paul] declared,"}],"style":"reg"},{"v":3,"t":"“ I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I was {just as} zealous for God as any of you are today.","f":[]},{"v":4,"t":"[I] persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":5,"t":"as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to [their] brothers in Damascus, [and] I was on my way to apprehend [these people] and bring [them] to Jerusalem to be punished.","f":[]},{"v":6,"t":"About noon [as] I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":7,"t":"I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,‘ Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"","t":"I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,"},{"style":"red","t":"‘ Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’"}],"style":"red"},{"v":8,"t":"‘ Who are You, Lord?’ I asked.‘ I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"‘ Who are You, Lord?’ I asked."},{"style":"reg","t":"‘ I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied."}],"style":"reg"},{"v":9,"t":"My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the [One] speaking to me.","f":[]},{"v":10,"t":"Then I asked,‘ What should I do, Lord?’‘ Get up [and] go into Damascus,’ [He] told me.‘ There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"Then I asked,‘ What should I do, Lord?’"},{"style":"reg","t":"‘ Get up [and] go into Damascus,’ [He] told me."},{"style":"red","t":"‘ There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’"}],"style":"reg"},{"v":11,"t":"Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":12,"t":"[There] a man [named] Ananias, a devout observer of the law [who was] highly regarded by all the Jews living there,","f":[]},{"v":13,"t":"came and stood beside me.‘ Brother Saul,’ he said,‘ receive your sight.’ And at that [moment] I could see him.","f":[]},{"v":14,"t":"Then 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.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":15,"t":"You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.","f":[]},{"v":16,"t":"And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins {away}, calling on His name.’","f":[]},{"v":17,"t":"Later, [when] I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":18,"t":"and saw [the Lord] saying to me,‘ Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because [the people here] will not accept your testimony about Me.’","f":["Literally saw Him"],"lines":[{"style":"","t":"and saw [the Lord] saying to me,"},{"style":"red","t":"‘ Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because [the people here] will not accept your testimony about Me.’"}],"style":"red"},{"v":19,"t":"‘ Lord,’ I answered,‘ they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":20,"t":"And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’","f":["Or martyr"]},{"v":21,"t":"Then He said to me,‘ Go! I will send you far away to [the] Gentiles.’”","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"Then He said to me,"},{"style":"red","t":"‘ Go! I will send you far away to [the] Gentiles.’”"}],"style":"reg"},{"v":22,"t":"[The crowd] listened to [Paul] until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices [and] shouted,“ Rid the earth of [him]! He is not fit to live!”","f":[],"h":"Paul the Roman Citizen","style":"reg"},{"v":23,"t":"[As] they were shouting and throwing off [their] cloaks and tossing dust into the air,","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":24,"t":"the commander ordered that [Paul] be brought into the barracks. He directed that [Paul] be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.","f":[]},{"v":25,"t":"But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there,“ Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":26,"t":"[On] hearing [this], the centurion went [and] reported [it] to the commander.“ What are you going to do?” he said.“ This man is a Roman citizen.”","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":27,"t":"The commander went to [Paul] and asked,“ Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”“ Yes,” he answered.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"The commander went to [Paul] and asked,“ Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”"},{"style":"reg","t":"“ Yes,” he answered."}],"style":"reg"},{"v":28,"t":"“ I paid a high price [for my] citizenship,” said the commander.“ But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"“ I paid a high price [for my] citizenship,” said the commander."},{"style":"reg","t":"“ But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied."}],"style":"reg"},{"v":29,"t":"At once those who were about to interrogate [Paul] stepped back, and the commander [himself] was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen {in chains}.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":30,"t":"The next day [the commander], wanting to learn the real reason [Paul] was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul {down} and had him stand before them.","f":["Or the whole Council"],"style":"reg"}]}