{"meta":{"source":"Prime Bible","sourceUrl":"https://primebible.com","license":"Public domain (translation text); see citation policy at /citation-policy","organization":"501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 41-2531951","canonicalUrl":"https://primebible.com/wnt/acts/22","llmTxt":"https://primebible.com/llms.txt","generatedAt":"2026-05-26T21:59:28.139Z"},"reference":{"translation":"WNT","book":"Acts","bookSlug":"acts","chapter":22,"testament":"NEW"},"navigation":{"previousChapter":21,"nextChapter":23,"totalChapters":28,"totalVerses":30},"verses":[{"verseNumber":1,"text":"|Brethren and fathers,| he said, |listen to my defence which I now make before you.|"},{"verseNumber":2,"text":"And on hearing him address them in Hebrew, they kept all the more quiet; and he said,"},{"verseNumber":3,"text":"|I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I was carefully trained at the feet of Gamaliel in the Law of our forefathers, and, like all of you to-day, was zealous for God."},{"verseNumber":4,"text":"I persecuted to death this new faith, continually binding both men and women and throwing them into prison;"},{"verseNumber":5,"text":"as the High Priest also and all the Elders can bear me witness. It was, too, from them that I received letters to the brethren in Damascus, and I was already on my way to Damascus, intending to bring those also who had fled there, in chains to Jerusalem, to be punished."},{"verseNumber":6,"text":"|But on my way, when I was now not far from Damascus, about noon a sudden blaze of light from Heaven shone round me."},{"verseNumber":7,"text":"I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, |'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'"},{"verseNumber":8,"text":"|'Who art thou, Lord?' I asked. |'I am Jesus, the Nazarene,' He replied, 'whom you are persecuting.'"},{"verseNumber":9,"text":"|Now the men who were with me, though they saw the light, did not hear the  words of Him who spoke to me."},{"verseNumber":10,"text":"And I asked, |'What am I to do, Lord?' |And the Lord said to me, |'Rise, and go into Damascus. There you shall be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.'"},{"verseNumber":11,"text":"|And as I could not see because the light had been so dazzling, those who were with me had to lead me by the arm, and so I came to Damascus."},{"verseNumber":12,"text":"|And a certain Ananias, a pious man who obeyed the Law and bore a good character with all the Jews of the city,"},{"verseNumber":13,"text":"came to me and standing at my side said, |'Brother Saul, recover your sight.' |I instantly  regained my sight and looked up at him."},{"verseNumber":14,"text":"Then he said, 'The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the righteous One and hear Him speak."},{"verseNumber":15,"text":"For you shall be a witness for Him, to all men, of what  you have seen and heard."},{"verseNumber":16,"text":"And now why delay? Rise, get yourself baptized, and wash off your sins, calling upon His name.'"},{"verseNumber":17,"text":"|After my return to Jerusalem, and while praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance."},{"verseNumber":18,"text":"I saw Jesus, and He said to me, |'Make haste and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'"},{"verseNumber":19,"text":"|'Lord,' I replied, 'they themselves well know how active I was in imprisoning, and in flogging in synagogue after synagogue those who believe in Thee;"},{"verseNumber":20,"text":"and when they were shedding the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, I was standing by, fully approving of it, and I held the clothes of those who were killing him.'"},{"verseNumber":21,"text":"|'Go,' He replied; 'I will send you as an Apostle  to nations far away.'|"},{"verseNumber":22,"text":"Until they heard this last statement the people listened to Paul, but now with a roar of disapproval they cried out, |Away with such a fellow from the earth! He ought not to be allowed to live.|"},{"verseNumber":23,"text":"And when they continued their furious shouts, throwing their clothes into the air and flinging dust about,"},{"verseNumber":24,"text":"the Tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and be examined by flogging, in order to ascertain the reason why they thus cried out against him."},{"verseNumber":25,"text":"But, when they had tied him up  with the straps, Paul said to the Captain who stood by, |Does the Law permit you to flog a Roman citizen--and one too who is uncondemned?|"},{"verseNumber":26,"text":"On hearing this question, the Captain went to report the matter to the Tribune.  |What are you intending to do?| he said. |This man is a Roman citizen.|"},{"verseNumber":27,"text":"So the Tribune came to Paul and asked him, |Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?| |Yes,| he said."},{"verseNumber":28,"text":"|I paid a large sum for my citizenship,| said the Tribune. |But I was born free,| said Paul."},{"verseNumber":29,"text":"So the men who had been on the point of putting him  under torture immediately left him. And the Tribune, too, was frightened when he learnt that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound."},{"verseNumber":30,"text":"The next day, wishing to know exactly what charge was being brought against him by the Jews, the Tribune ordered his chains to be removed; and, having sent word to the High Priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble, he brought Paul down and made him stand before them."}],"citation":{"inline":"Acts 22 (WNT)","markdown":"[Acts 22](https://primebible.com/wnt/acts/22)","sbl":"Prime Bible. *The Bible.* WNT. https://primebible.com/wnt/acts/22 (accessed 2026-05-26)."}}