Acts:22-23

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* Men , brethren , and fathers , hear ye my defence which I make now unto you . * (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them , they kept the more silence : and he saith ,) * 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 . * And I persecuted this way unto the death , binding and delivering into prisons both men and women . * 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 . * 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 . * And I fell unto the ground , and heard a voice saying unto me , Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me ? * And I answered , Who art thou , Lord ? And he said unto me , I am Jesus of Nazareth , whom thou persecutest . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * And one Ananias , a devout man according to the law , having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there , * Came unto me , and stood , and said unto me , Brother Saul , receive thy sight . And the same hour I looked up upon him . * 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 . * For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard . * And now why tarriest thou ? arise , and be baptized , and wash away thy sins , calling on the name of the Lord . * 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 ; * And saw him saying unto me , Make haste , and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem : for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me . * And I said , Lord , they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee : * 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 . * And he said unto me , Depart : for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles . * 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 . * And as they cried out , and cast off their clothes , and threw dust into the air , * 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 . * 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 ? * When the centurion heard that , he went and told the chief captain , saying , Take heed what thou doest : for this man is a Roman . * Then the chief captain came , and said unto him , Tell me , art thou a Roman ? He said , Yea . * And the chief captain answered , With a great sum obtained I this freedom . And Paul said , But I was free born . * 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 . * 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 . * And Paul , earnestly beholding the council , said , Men and brethren , I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day . * And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth . * Then said Paul unto him , God shall smite thee , thou whited wall : for sittest thou to judge me after the law , and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law ? * And they that stood by said , Revilest thou God 's high priest ? * Then said Paul , I wist not , brethren , that he was the high priest : for it is written , Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people . * But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees , and the other Pharisees , he cried out in the council , Men and brethren , I am a Pharisee , the son of a Pharisee : of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question . * And when he had so said , there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees : and the multitude was divided . * For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection , neither angel , nor spirit : but the Pharisees confess both . * And there arose a great cry : and the scribes that were of the Pharisees ' part arose , and strove , saying , We find no evil in this man : but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him , let us not fight against God . * And when there arose a great dissension , the chief captain , fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them , commanded the soldiers to go down , and to take him by force from among them , and to bring him into the castle . * And the night following the Lord stood by him , and said , Be of good cheer , Paul : for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem , so must thou bear witness also at Rome . * And when it was day , certain of the Jews banded together , and bound themselves under a curse , saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul . * And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy . * And they came to the chief priests and elders , and said , We have bound ourselves under a great curse , that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul . * Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow , as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him : and we , or ever he come near , are ready to kill him . * And when Paul 's sister 's son heard of their lying in wait , he went and entered into the castle , and told Paul . * Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him , and said , Bring this young man unto the chief captain : for he hath a certain thing to tell him . * So he took him , and brought him to the chief captain , and said , Paul the prisoner called me unto him , and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee , who hath something to say unto thee . * Then the chief captain took him by the hand , and went with him aside privately , and asked him , What is that thou hast to tell me ? * And he said , The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council , as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly . * But do not thou yield unto them : for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men , which have bound themselves with an oath , that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him : and now are they ready , looking for a promise from thee . * So the chief captain then let the young man depart , and charged him , See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me . * And he called unto him two centurions , saying , Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea , and horsemen threescore and ten , and spearmen two hundred , at the third hour of the night ; * And provide them beasts , that they may set Paul on , and bring him safe unto Felix the governor . * And he wrote a letter after this manner : * Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting . * This man was taken of the Jews , and should have been killed of them : then came I with an army , and rescued him , having understood that he was a Roman . * And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him , I brought him forth into their council : * Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law , but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds . * And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man , I sent straightway to thee , and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him . Farewell . * Then the soldiers , as it was commanded them , took Paul , and brought him by night to Antipatris . * On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him , and returned to the castle : * Who , when they came to Caesarea , and delivered the epistle to the governor , presented Paul also before him . * And when the governor had read the letter , he asked of what province he was . And when he understood that he was of Cilicia ; * I will hear thee , said he , when thine accusers are also come . And he commanded him to be kept in Herod 's judgment hall . * And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders , and with a certain orator named Tertullus , who informed the governor against Paul .

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