22:1 Brethren and fathers! Hear* my defense which I now make to you*.
22:2 But having heard that he was shouting to them in the Hebrew language, this provided even more quietness, and he says,
22:3 I Indeed am a Jew, and having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but having been reared in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, having been educated according to the exactness of the Law of our forefathers, being* a zealous one of God, just-as you* all are today;
22:4 and I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and giving into prisons both men and women.
22:5 As also the high-priest and all the eldership can testify of me; from whom I also accepted letters to the brethren, and I was traveling to Damascus and would be leading also the ones there who were bound to Jerusalem in order that they might be punished.
{Examples of those who are saved in the New Testament: Acts 2:14-42; 8:5-13; 8:30-39; 10:34-48; 16:13-15; 16:25-34; 18:8a; 18:8b; 19:1-7; Saul/Apostle Paul: 9:17-18, 22:6-16, 26:12-18.}
22:6 Now it happened to me, while traveling and drawing near to Damascus, around midday, a considerable light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.
22:7 And I fell to the solid-ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
22:8 But I answered, Who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.
22:9 But those who were together with me indeed saw the light and became fearful, but they did not hear with understanding the voice of the one who spoke to me.
22:10 But I said, What should I do, Lord?
But the Lord said to me, When* you have stood up, travel into Damascus, and it will be spoken to you there concerning all things which have been appointed for you to do.
22:11 Now as I was not seeing anything apart from the glory of that light, I came into Damascus, being led by the hand by those who were together with me.
22:12 Now a certain one named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, being testified of by all the Jews dwelling there,
22:13 came to me, and having stood by me said to me, Brother Saul, recover your sight! And I looked up at him in the same hour.
22:14 Now he said, The God of our fathers assigned you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
22:15 Because you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
22:16 And now, why are you hesitating? When* you stand up, be immersed* and fully-wash away your sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.
22:17 Now it happened to me, having returned to Jerusalem, and in my praying in the temple, I came* to be in a trance,
22:18 and saw him saying to me, Hurry, and go forth quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not be accepting the testimony from you concerning me.
22:19 And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and whipping them in every synagogue, those who believe on you;
22:20 and when the blood of Stephen, your witness, was being shed, I was also standing by and was consenting to the assassination, guarding the garments of those assassinating him.
22:21 And he said to me, Travel on, because I will be sending you forth to the Gentiles who are afar .
22:22 Now they were hearing him till this speech, and they lifted up their voice, saying, Take such a one away from the earth; for* it was not proper for him to live.
22:23 Now from them, crying out and tossing off their garments and casting dust into the air,
22:24 the commander commanded him to be led into the encampment, and said, He is to be interrogated by scourges, in order that he might fully know because of what crime they were shouting out against him so.
22:25 But as he stretched him out with the straps, Paul said to the centurion who is standing there, Is it legal for you* to scourge a Roman man and uncondemned?
22:26 But having heard it, the centurion went to the commander and reported to him, saying, Behold, what are you about to do? For* this man is a Roman.
22:27 Now the commander came and said to him, Tell me if you are a Roman.
Now he said, Yes.
22:28 And the commander answered, I procured this citizenship of a large sum.
But Paul said, But I have even been born Roman.
22:29 Therefore those who are about to interrogate him immediately withdrew from him. The commander was also afraid, having fully know that he is a Roman, and because he was binding him.
22:30 But on the next-day, planning to know the certainty of why he is accused of something from the Jews, he loosed him from the bonds, and commanded the high-priests and their whole council to come and having led Paul there he stood him toward them.