nkjv Acts:22 SEEK
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* "
Brethren and fathers ,
hear my defense before you now ."
*
And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language ,
they kept all the more silent .
Then he said :
* "
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 .
*
I persecuted this Way to the death ,
binding and delivering into prisons both men and women ,
*
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 .
* "
Now it happened ,
as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon ,
suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me .
*
And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me , "
Saul ,
Saul ,
why are you persecuting Me ?'
*
So I answered , "
Who are You ,
Lord ?'
And He said to me , "
I am Jesus of Nazareth ,
whom you are persecuting .'
* "
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 .
*
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 .'
*
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 .
* "
Then a certain Ananias ,
a devout man according to the law ,
having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there ,
*
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 .
*
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 .
*
For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard .
*
And now why are you waiting ?
Arise and be baptized ,
and wash away your sins ,
calling on the name of the Lord .'
* "
Now it happened ,
when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple ,
that I was in a trance
*
and saw Him saying to me , "
Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly ,
for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me .'
*
So I said , "
Lord ,
they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You .
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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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Then He said to me , "
Depart ,
for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles ."'
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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 !"
*
Then ,
as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air ,
*
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 .
*
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 ?"
*
When the centurion heard that ,
he went and told the commander ,
saying , "
Take care what you do ,
for this man is a Roman ."
*
Then the commander came and said to him , "
Tell me ,
are you a Roman ?"
He said , "
Yes ."
*
The commander answered , "
With a large sum I obtained this citizenship ."
And Paul said , "
But I was born a citizen ."
*
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 .
*
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 .