Acts 22
22
1“My fellow-Jews, listen to me as I make my defence before you!” 2When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even quieter; and Paul went on:
3 #
Acts 5.34–39
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in Jerusalem as a student of Gamaliel. I received strict instruction in the Law of our ancestors and was just as dedicated to God as are all of you who are here today. 4#Acts 8.3; 26.9–11I persecuted to the death the people who followed this Way. I arrested men and women and threw them into prison. 5The High Priest and the whole Council can prove that I am telling the truth. I received from them letters written to fellow-Jews in Damascus, so I went there to arrest these people and bring them back in chains to Jerusalem to be punished.
Paul Tells of his Conversion
(Acts 9.1–19; 26.12–18)
6“As I was travelling and coming near Damascus, about midday a bright light from the sky flashed suddenly round me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ 8‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute,’ he said to me. 9The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10I asked, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ and the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that God has determined for you to do.’ 11I was blind because of the bright light, and so my companions took me by the hand and led me into Damascus.
12“In that city was a man named Ananias, a religious man who obeyed our Law and was highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13He came to me, stood by me, and said, ‘Brother Saul, see again!’ At that very moment I saw again and looked at him. 14He said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see his righteous Servant, and to hear him speaking with his own voice. 15For you will be a witness for him to tell everyone what you have seen and heard. 16And now, why wait any longer? Get up and be baptized and have your sins washed away by praying to him.’
Paul's Call to Preach to the Gentiles
17“I went back to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the Temple, I had a vision, 18in which I saw the Lord, as he said to me, ‘Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your witness about me.’ 19‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that I went to the synagogues and arrested and beat those who believe in you. 20#Acts 7.58And when your witness Stephen was put to death, I myself was there, approving of his murder and taking care of the cloaks of his murderers.’ 21‘Go,’ the Lord said to me, ‘for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
22The people listened to Paul until he said this; but then they started shouting at the top of their voices, “Away with him! Kill him! He's not fit to live!” 23They were screaming, waving their clothes, and throwing dust up in the air. 24The Roman commander ordered his men to take Paul into the fort, and he told them to whip him in order to find out why the Jews were screaming like this against him. 25But when they had tied him up to be whipped, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it lawful for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been tried for any crime?”
26When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked him, “What are you doing? That man is a Roman citizen!”
27So the commander went to Paul and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”
“Yes,” answered Paul.
28The commander said, “I became one by paying a large amount of money.”
“But I am one by birth,” Paul answered.
29At once the men who were going to question Paul drew back from him; and the commander was frightened when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had put him in chains.
Paul before the Council
30The commander wanted to find out for certain what the Jews were accusing Paul of; so the next day he had Paul's chains taken off and ordered the chief priests and the whole Council to meet. Then he took Paul and made him stand before them.
Currently Selected:
Acts 22: GNBUK
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Gevurot Meyruach Hakodesh 22
22
1Rav Sha'ul said, Anashim, Achim, Avot, listen now to my hitstaddekut (defense).
2And when they heard that Rav Sha'ul was addressing them in the language of the Hebrews, they were even more quiet. And Rav Sha'ul said,
3I am an ish Yehudi, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but having been brought up in a yeshiva in this city of Yerushalayim at the feet of Rabban Gamli'el, having learned with irreproachable frumkeit according to all machmir chumra strictness the Torah of Avoteinu, and I have a kinat Hashem just as all of you do today;#22:3 1Kgs 19:10
4I brought redifah on this “Derech,” even to the point of mavet, binding and delivering both anashim and nashim over to the beis hasohar,
5As even the Kohen Gadol and all the Zekenim of the Sanhedrin could give solemn eidus for me. For from them I also was authorized with iggrot to the Achim in Damascus, and I was going there to lead away also the ones who were there in order to bring them bound back to Yerushalayim to have them punished.
6And it happened to me while traveling and drawing near to Damascus, lav davka (approximately) noon, suddenly from Shomayim, a very bright ohr (light) shone around me;
7And I fell to the ground. Then I heard a bat kol saying to me, Sha'ul, Sha'ul, why are you bringing redifah on me?
8And I answered, Who are you, Adoni? And he said to me, I am Yehoshua of Natzeret, upon whom you are bringing redifah.
9And the ones with me saw the ohr (light) but they did not have real hearing (understanding) of the voice speaking to me.
10And I said, What shall I do, Adoni? And HaAdon said to me, Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything which has been appointed for you to do.
11And because I had been blinded from the kavod (glory) of that ohr (light), I was led by the hand by the ones who were with me and who led me into Damascus.
12A certain man, Chananyah by name, an ehrliche Yid (a truly pious Jew), charedi according to the Torah and with a shem tov with all the Yehudim living in Damascus,
13Came to me and stood next to me, saying, Ach b'Moshiach Sha'ul, receive your sight. And at that moment I looked up at him.
14And he said, Elohei Avoteinu has chosen and appointed you to have da'as of His ratzon (will) and to see the Tzaddik#22:14 Moshiach and to hear the kol (voice) from His mouth.
15For you will be an eidus (witness) to him to all anashim of what you have seen and heard.
16And now what do you intend to do? Get up and receive Moshiachʼs tevilah of teshuva and wash away your averos (sins) by calling upon SHMO.#22:16 Lv 8:6; Ps 51:2; Ezek 36:25; Yoel 2:32 [3:5]; Zech 6:12
17And it happened that after I had returned to Yerushalayim and as I was davening in the Beis Hamikdash, that I fell into a trance,
18And saw Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach saying to me, Hurry and get out quickly from Yerushalayim, because they will not receive your edut (testimony) concerning me.
19And I said, Adoni, they themselves have da'as that in every shul I was imprisoning and beating the ones with emunah in you.
20And when in al kiddush ha-Shem, the dahm of your eidus (witness) Stefanos was being poured out, I myself also had been standing by and agreeing and protecting the kaftans of the ones killing him.
21And Moshiach said to me, Go! For I will send you out, far away to the Goyim.
22And they were listening to Rav Sha'ul up to the word Goyim; and then they lifted up their kol, saying, Away with such a one from ha'aretz! He should not be allowed to live!
23And while they were crying out, while they were throwing off their kaftans and tossing dust into the air,#22:23 2Sm 16:13
24the Roman tribune directed him to be brought into the barracks, and ordered him to be examined by the flagellumʼs scourge, that the tribune might have da'as of the reason for the mobʼs shouting thus keneged (against, in opposition to) Rav Sha'ul.
25And when the Roman soldiers stretched Rav Sha'ul out with the straps, he said to the centurion who was standing by, If a man is a Roman citizen and uncondemned, it is lawful for you to scourge him?
26And having heard this, the centurion approached the tribune and reported, saying, What are you about to do? For this man has Roman citizenship.
27And having approached, the tribune said to Rav Sha'ul, Tell me, are you a Roman? And Rav Sha'ul said, Etiam.#22:27 T.N. Latin: Yes, certainly.
28And the tribune answered, It cost me a large sum of money for me to acquire my Roman citizenship. And Rav Sha'ul said, But indeed I have been born a Roman citizen.
29Ofen ort, then, the ones about to examine him drew back from Rav Sha'ul. Also the tribune did the same. For he was afraid, learning that Rav Sha'ul is a Roman and that he had bound him.
30And on the next day, desiring to know something definite about why Rav Sha'ul was accused by the Yehudim, the tribune released him and ordered the Rashei Hakohanim and all the Sanhedrin to be assembled. Then, having brought down Rav Sha'ul, the tribune had him set before them.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.