Acts 22
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1“Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.”1"Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you."
2When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.2When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter.
3Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today.3He continued, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
4And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.4I persecuted this Way to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail,
5The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.5as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.
6“As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me.6"As I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.
7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
8“‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’8"I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' "He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.'
9The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me.9Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.
10“I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ “And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’10"I said, 'What should I do, Lord?' "The Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.'
11“I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions.11"Since I couldn't see because of the brightness of the light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus.
12A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus.12Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good reputation with all the Jews living there,
13He came and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And that very moment I could see him!13came and stood by me and said, 'Brother Saul, regain your sight.' And in that very hour I looked up and saw him.
14“Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak.14And he said, 'The God of our ancestors has appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the words from his mouth,
15For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard.15since you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.
16What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’16And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'
17“After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance.17"After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance
18I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’18and saw him telling me, 'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'
19“‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.19"But I said, 'Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten.
20And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.’20And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval and guarding the clothes of those who killed him.'
21“But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’ ”21"He said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' "
22The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!”22They listened to him up to this point. Then they raised their voices, shouting, "Wipe this man off the face of the earth! He should not be allowed to live!"
23They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air. Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship23As they were yelling and flinging aside their garments and throwing dust into the air,
24The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious.24the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be interrogated with the scourge to discover the reason they were shouting against him like this.
25When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?”25As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, "Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?"
26When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”26When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, "What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen."
27So the commander went over and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied.27The commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.
28“I am, too,” the commander muttered, “and it cost me plenty!” Paul answered, “But I am a citizen by birth!”28The commander replied, "I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money." "But I was born a citizen," Paul said.
29The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped. Paul before the High Council29So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him.
30The next day the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them.30The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene. He brought Paul down and placed him before them.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Acts 21
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