22Acts 22

CHAP. XXII. / 1 Paul declareth at large, how he was conuerted to the faith, 17 and called to his Apostleship. 22 At the very mentioning of the Gentiles, the exclaime on him. 24 He should haue bene sco

1Men, brethren, and fathers, heare ye my defence which I make now vnto you.Select Acts 22:1

2(And when they heard that hee spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)Select Acts 22:2

3I am verely a man which am a Iew, borne in Tarsus a citie in Cilicia, yet brought vp in this citie at the feete of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect maner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous towards God, as ye all are this day.Select Acts 22:3

4And I persecuted this way vnto the death, binding and deliuering into prisons both men and women,Select Acts 22:4

5As also the high Priest doth beare me witnesse, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I receiued letters vnto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there, bound vnto Hierusalem, for to be punished.Select Acts 22:5

6And it came to passe, that as I made my iourney, & was come nigh vnto Damascus about noone, suddenly there shone from heauen a great light round about me.Select Acts 22:6

7And I fell vnto the ground, and heard a voice saying vnto mee, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?Select Acts 22:7

8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said vnto me, I am Iesus of Nazareth who thou persecutest.Select Acts 22:8

9And they that were with me saw indeede the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.Select Acts 22:9

10And I saide, What shall I doe, Lord? And the Lord said vnto me, Arise, and goe into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to doe.Select Acts 22:10

11And 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.Select Acts 22:11

12And one Ananias, a deuout man according to the law, hauing a good report of al the Iewes which dwelt there,Select Acts 22:12

13Came vnto me, and stood, & said vnto me, Brother Saul, receiue thy sight. And the same houre I looked vp vpon him.Select Acts 22:13

14And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, þt thou shouldest know his will, & see that Iust one, and shouldest heare the voice of his mouth.Select Acts 22:14

15For thou shalt be his witnes vnto al men, of what thou hast seene & heard.Select Acts 22:15

16And now, why tariest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sinnes, calling on the name of the Lord.Select Acts 22:16

17And it came to passe, that when I was come againe to Hierusalem, euen while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance,Select Acts 22:17

18And saw him saying vnto mee, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Hierusalem: for they will not receiue thy testimony concerning me.Select Acts 22:18

19And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and beat in euery synagogue them that beleeued on thee.Select Acts 22:19

20And when þe blood of thy martyr Steuen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting vnto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.Select Acts 22:20

21And he said vnto me, Depart: for I will send thee farre hence, vnto the Gentiles.Select Acts 22:21

22And they gaue him audience vnto this word, and then lift vp their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should liue.Select Acts 22:22

23And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, & threw dust into the aire,Select Acts 22:23

24The chiefe captaine commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that hee should be examined by scourging: that he might know wherfore they cried so against him.Select Acts 22:24

25And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said vnto the Centurion that stood by, Is it lawfull for you to scourge a man that is a Romane, and vncondemned?Select Acts 22:25

26When the Centurion heard that, hee went and told the chiefe captaine, saying, Take heede what thou doest, for this man is a Romane.Select Acts 22:26

27Then the chiefe captaine came; and said vnto him, Tell me, art thou a Romane? He said, Yea.Select Acts 22:27

28And the chiefe captaine answered, With a great summe obteined I this freedome. And Paul said, But I was free borne.Select Acts 22:28

29Then straightway they departed from him which should haue examined him: and the chiefe captaine also was afraid after he knew that he was a Romane, & because he had bound him.Select Acts 22:29

30On the morrow, because he would haue knowen the certaintie wherefore he was accused of the Iewes, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chiefe Priests and all their Councill to appeare, and brought Paul downe, and set him before them.Select Acts 22:30