22:1Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
22:2(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
22:3I 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.
22:4And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
22:5As 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.
22:6And 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.
22:7And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
22:8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
22:9And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
22:10And 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.
22:11And 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.
22:12And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
22:13Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
22:14And 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.
22:15For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
22:16And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
22:17And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
22:18And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
22:19And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
22:20And 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.
22:21And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
22:22And 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.
22:23And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
22:24The 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.
22:25And 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?
22:26When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
22:27Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
22:28And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
22:29Then 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.
22:30On 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.
23:1And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
23:2And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
23:3Then 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?
23:4And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?
23:5Then 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.
23:6But 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.
24:10Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:
24:11Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.
24:12And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:
24:13Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.
24:14But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
24:15And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
24:16And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
24:17Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.
24:18Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.
24:19Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.
24:20Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,
24:21Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.
26:1Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:
26:2I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
26:3Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
26:4My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
26:5Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
26:6And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
26:7Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
26:8Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
26:9I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
26:10Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
26:11And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
26:12Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
26:13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
26:14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
26:15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
26:16But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
26:17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
26:18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
26:19Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
26:20But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
26:21For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
26:22Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
26:23That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.