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22:1  “My brothers and fathers, listen now to me · as I make my defense to you.”
22:2  And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:
22:3  “I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in · this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strictness of the ancestral law, being zealous for God just as you all are today.
22:4  I persecuted the followers of this · Way even to their death, putting in chains both men and women and delivering them to prison,
22:5  as also the high priest and the whole · council of elders can bear me witness. From them · I received letters to the brothers, and I went toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
22:6  · As I journeyed and came near to Damascus, about noon suddenly out of · heaven flashed a brilliant light all around me.
22:7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
22:8  And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’
22:9  Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.
22:10  And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there it will be told you about all that has been assigned to you to do.’
22:11  Since · I could not see due to the brilliance of that light, being led by the hand by those who were with me, I went to Damascus.
22:12  “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
22:13  came to me, and standing there said to me, ‘Brother Saul, recover your sight.’ And at that very hour I recovered my sight and saw him.
22:14  And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know · his will, · to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from · his mouth.
22:15  For you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
22:16  And now why are you waiting? Rise and be baptized and wash away · your sins, calling on · his name.’
22:17  · When I had returned to Jerusalem and I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance
22:18  and I saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
22:19  And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I used to go from one synagogue to another imprisoning and flogging · those who believed in you.
22:20  And when the blood of Stephen, · your witness, was being shed, · I myself was standing by · approving and guarding the cloaks of those who were killing him.’
22:21  And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22:22  They listened to · him until this · word, but then they raised · their voices saying, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, · for it is not right for him to live!”
22:23  While they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust in the air,
22:24  the commanding officer ordered Paul to be brought back into the barracks, saying that he should be examined with whips so that he might know the reason why they were shouting at him that way.
22:25  But when they had stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, · “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?”
22:26  When the centurion heard · this, he went and reported to the commanding officer, saying, “What are you about to do? · For this man is a Roman citizen.”
22:27  The commanding officer came to · him and said, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” He · replied, “Yes.”
22:28  The commanding officer answered, · “I obtained this citizenship with a large sum of money.” · · · Paul answered, “But I was even born one.”
22:29  Immediately those who were about to examine him drew back from him; and the commanding officer · was afraid, realizing that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
22:30  But on the next day, wanting to know · for sure · what was the accusation being made against him by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought · Paul down and set him before them.