Acts.22

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Acts.22.1

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.

Acts.22.1

"My dear brothers and fathers, listen carefully to what I have to say before you jump to conclusions about me."

Acts.22.1

"Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense."

Acts.22.1

"Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now."

Acts.22.1

"Brothers and esteemed fathers," Paul said, "listen to me as I offer my defense."

Acts.22.2

And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

Acts.22.2

When they heard him speaking Hebrew, they grew even quieter. No one wanted to miss a word of this. He continued,

Acts.22.2

When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.

Acts.22.2

And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:

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When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.

Acts.22.3

I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

Acts.22.3

"I am a good Jew, born in Tarsus in the province of Cilicia, but educated here in Jerusalem under the exacting eye of Rabbi Gamaliel, thoroughly instructed in our religious traditions. And I've always been passionately on God's side, just as you are right now.

Acts.22.3

Then Paul said: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.

Acts.22.3

"I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.

Acts.22.3

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. At his feet I learned to follow our Jewish laws and customs very carefully. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just as all of you are today.

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And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

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"I went after anyone connected with this "Way,' went at them hammer and tongs, ready to kill for God. I rounded up men and women right and left and had them thrown in prison.

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I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,

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I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

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And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, binding and delivering both men and women to prison.

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As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

Acts.22.5

You can ask the Chief Priest or anyone in the High Council to verify this; they all knew me well. Then I went off to our brothers in Damascus, armed with official documents authorizing me to hunt down the Christians there, arrest them, and bring them back to Jerusalem for sentencing.

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as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

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as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.

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The high priest and the whole council of leaders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.

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And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

Acts.22.6

"As I arrived on the outskirts of Damascus about noon, a blinding light blazed out of the skies

Acts.22.6

"About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.

Acts.22.6

"Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.

Acts.22.6

"As I was on the road, nearing Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone around me.

Acts.22.7

And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Acts.22.7

and I fell to the ground, dazed. I heard a voice: "Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?'

Acts.22.7

I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'

Acts.22.7

And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'

Acts.22.7

I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

Acts.22.8

And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Acts.22.8

Who are you, Master?' I asked. "He said, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, the One you're hunting down.'

Acts.22.8

"'Who are you, Lord?' I asked.

Acts.22.8

So I answered, "Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'

Acts.22.8

"'Who are you, sir?' I asked. And he replied, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.'

Acts.22.9

And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

Acts.22.9

My companions saw the light, but they didn't hear the conversation.

Acts.22.9

"'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

Acts.22.9

"And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.

Acts.22.9

The people with me saw the light but didn't hear the voice.

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And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

Acts.22.10

"Then I said, "What do I do now, Master?'"He said, "Get to your feet and enter Damascus. There you'll be told everything that's been set out for you to do.'

Acts.22.10

"'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked.

Acts.22.10

So I said, "What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, "Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.'

Acts.22.10

"I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that you are to do.'

Acts.22.11

And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

Acts.22.11

And so we entered Damascus, but nothing like the entrance I had planned--I was blind as a bat and my companions had to lead me in by the hand.

Acts.22.11

"'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

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And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

Acts.22.11

"I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led into Damascus by my companions.

Acts.22.12

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

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"And that's when I met Ananias, a man with a sterling reputation in observing our laws--the Jewish community in Damascus is unanimous on that score.

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"A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.

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"Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,

Acts.22.12

A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man in his devotion to the law, and he was well thought of by all the Jews of Damascus.

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Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

Acts.22.13

He came and put his arm on my shoulder. "Look up,' he said. I looked, and found myself looking right into his eyes--I could see again!

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He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him.

Acts.22.13

came to me; and he stood and said to me, "Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him.

Acts.22.13

He came to me and stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And that very hour I could see him!

Acts.22.14

And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

Acts.22.14

"Then he said, "The God of our ancestors has handpicked you to be briefed on his plan of action. You've actually seen the Righteous Innocent and heard him speak.

Acts.22.14

"Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.

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Then he said, "The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.

Acts.22.14

"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.

Acts.22.15

For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

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You are to be a key witness to everyone you meet of what you've seen and heard.

Acts.22.15

You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.

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For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.

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You are to take his message everywhere, telling the whole world what you have seen and heard.

Acts.22.16

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Acts.22.16

So what are you waiting for? Get up and get yourself baptized, scrubbed clean of those sins and personally acquainted with God.'

Acts.22.16

And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'

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And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'

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And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on the name of the Lord.'

Acts.22.17

And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

Acts.22.17

"Well, it happened just as Ananias said. After I was back in Jerusalem and praying one day in the Temple, lost in the presence of God,

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"When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance

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"Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance

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"One day after I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple, and I fell into a trance.

Acts.22.18

And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

Acts.22.18

I saw him, saw God's Righteous Innocent, and heard him say to me, "Hurry up! Get out of here as quickly as you can. None of the Jews here in Jerusalem are going to accept what you say about me.'

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and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'

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and saw Him saying to me, "Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.'

Acts.22.18

I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, 'Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won't believe you when you give them your testimony about me.'

Acts.22.19

And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

Acts.22.19

"At first I objected: "Who has better credentials? They all know how obsessed I was with hunting out those who believed in you, beating them up in the meeting places and throwing them in jail.

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"'Lord,' I replied, 'these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you.

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So I said, "Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.

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"'But Lord,' I argued, 'they certainly know that I imprisoned and beat those in every synagogue who believed on you.

Acts.22.20

And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

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And when your witness Stephen was murdered, I was right there, holding the coats of the murderers and cheering them on. And now they see me totally converted. What better qualification could I have?'

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And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'

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And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'

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And when your witness Stephen was killed, I was standing there agreeing. I kept the coats they laid aside as they stoned him.'

Acts.22.21

And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

Acts.22.21

"But he said, "Don't argue. Go. I'm sending you on a long journey to outsider Gentiles.'"

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"Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"

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Then He said to me, "Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles."'

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"But the Lord said to me, 'Leave Jerusalem, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!'"

Acts.22.22

And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

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The people in the crowd had listened attentively up to this point, but now they broke loose, shouting out, "Kill him! He's an insect! Stomp on him!"

Acts.22.22

The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!"

Acts.22.22

And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!"

Acts.22.22

The crowd listened until Paul came to that word; then with one voice they shouted, "Away with such a fellow! Kill him! He isn't fit to live!"

Acts.22.23

And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,

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They shook their fists. They filled the air with curses.

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As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,

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Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,

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They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.

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The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

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That's when the captain intervened and ordered Paul taken into the barracks. By now the captain was thoroughly exasperated. He decided to interrogate Paul under torture in order to get to the bottom of this, to find out what he had done that provoked this outraged violence.

Acts.22.24

the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.

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the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.

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The 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.

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And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

Acts.22.25

As they spread-eagled him with thongs, getting him ready for the whip, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is this legal: torturing a Roman citizen without a fair trial?"

Acts.22.25

As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?"

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And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?"

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As 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?"

Acts.22.26

When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

Acts.22.26

When the centurion heard that, he went directly to the captain. "Do you realize what you've done? This man is a Roman citizen!"

Acts.22.26

When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "This man is a Roman citizen."

Acts.22.26

When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, "Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman."

Acts.22.26

The officer went to the commander and asked, "What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!"

Acts.22.27

Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

Acts.22.27

The captain came back and took charge. "Is what I hear right? You're a Roman citizen?" Paul said, "I certainly am."

Acts.22.27

The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?Yes, I am," he answered.

Acts.22.27

Then the commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" He said, "Yes."

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So the commander went over and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?Yes, I certainly am," Paul replied.

Acts.22.28

And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.

Acts.22.28

The captain was impressed. "I paid a huge sum for my citizenship. How much did it cost you?Nothing," said Paul. "It cost me nothing. I was free from the day of my birth."

Acts.22.28

Then the commander said, "I had to pay a big price for my citizenship.But I was born a citizen," Paul replied.

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The commander answered, "With a large sum I obtained this citizenship." And Paul said, "But I was born a citizen."

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"I am, too," the commander muttered, "and it cost me plenty!But I am a citizen by birth!"

Acts.22.29

Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Acts.22.29

That put a stop to the interrogation. And it put the fear of God into the captain. He had put a Roman citizen in chains and come within a whisker of putting him under torture!

Acts.22.29

Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.

Acts.22.29

Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Acts.22.29

The 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.

Acts.22.30

On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

Acts.22.30

The next day, determined to get to the root of the trouble and know for sure what was behind the Jewish accusation, the captain released Paul and ordered a meeting of the high priests and the High Council to see what they could make of it. Paul was led in and took his place before them.

Acts.22.30

The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

Acts.22.30

The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

Acts.22.30

The next day the commander freed Paul from his chains and ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He had Paul brought in before them to try to find out what the trouble was all about.

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