Acts 22 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you.
1 Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πατέρες, ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς νυνὶ ἀπολογίας.
2 And hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says,
2 ἀκούσαντες δὲ ὅτι τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ προσεφώνει αὐτοῖς, μᾶλλον παρέσχον ἡσυχίαν.
3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to [the] exactness of the law of [our] fathers, being zealous for God, as ye are all this day;
3 καί φησιν· ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι ἀνὴρ Ἰουδαῖος, γεγεννημένος ἐν Ταρσῷ τῆς Κιλικίας, ἀνατεθραμμένος δὲ ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ παρὰ τοὺς πόδας Γαμαλιήλ, πεπαιδευμένος κατὰ ἀκρίβειαν τοῦ πατρῴου νόμου, ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τοῦ Θεοῦ καθὼς πάντες ὑμεῖς ἐστε σήμερον.
4 who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women;
4 ὃς ταύτην τὴν ὁδὸν ἐδίωξα ἄχρι θανάτου, δεσμεύων καὶ παραδιδοὺς εἰς φυλακὰς ἄνδρας τε καὶ γυναῖκας,
5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood: from whom also, having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus to bring those also who were there, bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished.
5 ὡς καὶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς μαρτυρεῖ μοι καὶ πᾶν τὸ πρεσβυτέριον· παρ᾽ ὧν καὶ ἐπιστολὰς δεξάμενος πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς εἰς Δαμασκὸν ἐπορευόμην ἄξων καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖσε ὄντας δεδεμένους εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἵνα τιμωρηθῶσιν.
6 And it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid-day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me.
6 Ἐγένετο δέ μοι πορευομένῳ καὶ ἐγγίζοντι τῇ Δαμασκῷ περὶ μεσημβρίαν ἐξαίφνης ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ περιαστράψαι φῶς ἱκανὸν περὶ ἐμέ,
7 And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
7 ἔπεσόν τε εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς λεγούσης μοι· Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom thou persecutest.
8 ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπεκρίθην· τίς εἶ, Κύριε; εἶπέ τε πρός με· ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὃν σὺ διώκεις.
9 But they that were with me beheld the light, [and were filled with fear], but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me.
9 οἱ δὲ σὺν ἐμοὶ ὄντες τὸ μὲν φῶς ἐθεάσαντο καὶ ἔμφοβοι ἐγένοντο, τὴν δὲ φωνὴν οὐκ ἤκουσαν τοῦ λαλοῦντός μοι.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee to do.
10 εἶπον δέ· τί ποιήσω, Κύριε; ὁ δὲ Κύριος εἶπε πρός με· ἀναστὰς πορεύου εἰς Δαμασκόν, κἀκεῖ σοι λαληθήσεται περὶ πάντων ὧν τέτακταί σοι ποιῆσαι.
11 And as I could not see, through the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus.
11 ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἐνέβλεπον ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου, χειραγωγούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν συνόντων μοι ἦλθον εἰς Δαμασκόν.
12 And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt [there],
12 Ἀνανίας δέ τις, ἀνὴρ εὐσεβὴς κατὰ τὸν νόμον, μαρτυρούμενος ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν κατοικούντων [ἐν Δαμασκῷ] Ἰουδαίων,
13 coming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And I, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him.
13 ἐλθὼν πρός με καὶ ἐπιστὰς εἶπέ μοι· Σαοὺλ ἀδελφέ, ἀνάβλεψον. κἀγὼ αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἀνέβλεψα εἰς αὐτόν.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth;
14 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν προεχειρίσατό σε γνῶναι τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰδεῖν τὸν δίκαιον καὶ ἀκοῦσαι φωνὴν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ,
15 for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
15 ὅτι ἔσῃ μάρτυς αὐτῷ πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὧν ἑώρακας καὶ ἤκουσας.
16 And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name.
16 καὶ νῦν τί μέλλεις; ἀναστὰς βάπτισαι καὶ ἀπόλουσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, ἐπικαλεσάμενος τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου.
17 And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy,
17 Ἐγένετο δέ μοι ὑποστρέψαντι εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ προσευχομένου μου ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ γενέσθαι με ἐν ἐκστάσει καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν λέγοντά μοι·
18 and saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
18 σπεῦσον καὶ ἔξελθε ἐν τάχει ἐξ Ἱερουσαλήμ, διότι οὐ παραδέξονταί σου τὴν μαρτυρίαν περὶ ἐμοῦ.
19 And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee;
19 κἀγὼ εἶπον· Κύριε, αὐτοὶ ἐπίστανται ὅτι ἐγὼ ἤμην φυλακίζων καὶ δέρων κατὰ τὰς συναγωγὰς τοὺς πιστεύοντας ἐπὶ σέ·
20 and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting, and kept the clothes of them who killed him.
20 καὶ ὅτε ἐξεχεῖτο τὸ αἷμα Στεφάνου τοῦ μάρτυρός σου, καὶ αὐτὸς ἤμην ἐφεστὼς καὶ συνευδοκῶν τῇ ἀναιρέσει αὐτοῦ καὶ φυλάσσων τὰ ἱμάτια τῶν ἀναιρούντων αὐτόν.
21 And he said to me, Go, for I will send thee to the nations afar off.
21 καὶ εἶπε πρός με· πορεύου, ὅτι ἐγὼ εἰς ἔθνη μακρὰν ἐξαποστελῶ σε.
22 And they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live.
22 Ἤκουον δὲ αὐτοῦ ἄχρι τούτου τοῦ λόγου, καὶ ἐπῆραν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν λέγοντες· αἶρε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν τοιοῦτον· οὐ γὰρ καθῆκεν αὐτὸν ζῆν.
23 And as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air,
23 κραυγαζόντων δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ ῥιπτόντων τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ κονιορτὸν βαλλόντων εἰς τὸν ἀέρα,
24 the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain for what cause they cried thus against him.
24 ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ὁ χιλίαρχος ἄγεσθαι εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν, εἰπὼν μάστιξιν ἀνετάζεσθαι αὐτόν, ἵνα ἐπιγνῷ δι᾽ ἣν αἰτίαν οὕτως ἐπεφώνουν αὐτῷ.
25 But as they stretched him forward with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood [by], Is it lawful for you to scourge a man [who is] a Roman and uncondemned?
25 ὡς δὲ προέτειναν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἱμᾶσιν, εἶπε πρὸς τὸν ἑστῶτα ἑκατόνταρχον ὁ Παῦλος· εἰ ἄνθρωπον Ῥωμαῖον καὶ ἀκατάκριτον ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν μαστίζειν;
26 And the centurion, having heard it, went and reported it to the chiliarch, saying, What art thou going to do? for this man is a Roman.
26 ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος, προσελθὼν ἀπήγγειλε τῷ χιλιάρχῳ λέγων· ὅρα τί μέλλεις ποιεῖν· ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος Ῥωμαῖός ἐστι.
27 And the chiliarch coming up said to him, Tell me, Art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes.
27 προσελθὼν δὲ ὁ χιλίαρχος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· λέγε μοι εἰ σὺ Ῥωμαῖος εἶ. ὁ δὲ ἔφη· ναί.
28 And the chiliarch answered, I, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was also [free] born.
28 ἀπεκρίθη τε ὁ χιλίαρχος· ἐγὼ πολλοῦ κεφαλαίου τὴν πολιτείαν ταύτην ἐκτησάμην. ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἔφη· ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ γεγέννημαι.
29 Immediately therefore those who were going to examine him left him, and the chiliarch also was afraid when he ascertained that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
29 εὐθέως οὖν ἀπέστησαν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ οἱ μέλλοντες αὐτὸν ἀνετάζειν· καὶ ὁ χιλίαρχος δὲ ἐφοβήθη ἐπιγνοὺς ὅτι Ῥωμαῖός ἐστι, καὶ ὅτι ἦν αὐτὸν δεδεκώς.
30 And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty [of the matter] why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them.
30 Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον βουλόμενος γνῶναι τὸ ἀσφαλές, τὸ τί κατηγορεῖται παρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἔλυσεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν δεσμῶν καὶ ἐκέλευσεν ἐλθεῖν τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ ὅλον τὸ συνέδριον αὐτῶν, καὶ καταγαγὼν τὸν Παῦλον ἔστησεν εἰς αὐτούς.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Ananias
A disciple at Damascus whom the Lord sent to lay hands on Saul, restore his sight, and baptize him.
Cited in the guide: Acts 9:10; Acts 9:17; Acts 22:12
Gamaliel
A respected Pharisee on the Sanhedrin who counseled leaving the apostles alone; Paul later said he had been educated at his feet.
Cited in the guide: Acts 5:34; Acts 22:3
Places
Tarsus
A wealthy university city in Cilicia and Paul's hometown. He was also a Roman citizen by birth (Acts 22:28), which shaped his missionary strategy and legal appeals.
Cited in the guide: Acts 9:11; Acts 21:39; Acts 22:3
Cross references (28)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Acts 7:2; 2 Timothy 4:16; Acts 13:26; Acts 23:6; Acts 23:1
- 2 Acts 21:40
- 3 Philippians 3:5–6; Acts 26:5; Acts 9:11; Acts 5:34; Acts 21:39
- 4 Acts 22:19–20; 1 Timothy 1:13–15; Acts 26:9–11; Acts 8:1–4; 1 Corinthians 15:9
- 5 Acts 9:1–2; Luke 22:66; Acts 5:21; Acts 22:1; Acts 13:26
- 6 Acts 26:12–18; Acts 9:3–8; Revelation 1:16; Genesis 15:2; 2 Samuel 8:6
- 7 Jeremiah 2:9; Matthew 25:45; 1 Timothy 1:13; Genesis 22:1; 1 Samuel 3:10
- 8 Acts 26:9; 1 Samuel 8:7; Matthew 10:40–42; Acts 6:14; Matthew 25:45
- 9 Acts 9:7; Daniel 10:7; Acts 26:13; John 12:29–30
- 10 Acts 16:30; Acts 26:16–18; Acts 22:12–16; Acts 2:37; Psalm 25:8–9
- 11 Acts 9:8–9; Acts 13:11; Isaiah 42:16
- 12 Acts 10:22; Acts 6:3; 3 John 12; Acts 17:4; 2 Corinthians 6:8
- 13 Acts 9:17–18; Philemon 16
- 14 Galatians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 15:8; 1 Corinthians 9:1; Acts 26:16; Acts 9:15
- 15 Acts 23:11; Acts 4:20; John 15:27; Luke 24:47–48; Acts 1:8
- 16 Acts 2:38; Acts 2:21; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 10:22; 1 Corinthians 6:11
- 17 2 Corinthians 12:1–4; Acts 10:9–10; Acts 9:26–28; Acts 26:20; Revelation 1:10
- 18 Acts 9:29; Matthew 10:14; Ezekiel 3:6–7; Luke 21:21; Acts 3:19
- 19 Acts 22:4; Matthew 10:17; Acts 8:3; Acts 9:1; Acts 26:9–12
- 20 Acts 7:58; Acts 8:1; Romans 1:32; Revelation 2:13; Luke 11:48
- 21 Acts 9:15; 1 Timothy 2:7; Ephesians 3:6–8; Romans 15:16; Galatians 2:7–8
- 22 Acts 25:24; Acts 21:36; John 19:15; Luke 23:18; Acts 7:54–57
- 23 2 Samuel 16:13; Ecclesiastes 10:3; Acts 7:58; Acts 26:11; Acts 7:53
- 24 John 19:1; Acts 21:34; Acts 23:10; Acts 21:31–32; Acts 16:22–23
- 25 Acts 16:37; Acts 25:16; Acts 27:43; Acts 22:27–28; Acts 23:17
- 26 Acts 23:27; Acts 22:29
- 29 Acts 21:33; Acts 22:24–26; Hebrews 11:35; Acts 16:38–39
- 30 Acts 23:28; Acts 21:33; Acts 26:29; Acts 21:11; Acts 5:21
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
See how he thrusts himself (into danger), I came, he says, after that vision, "to Jerusalem. I was in a trance," etc. Again, this is without witness: but observe, the witness follows from the result. He said, "They will not receive thy testimony:" they did not receive it.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
… or else, if they do receive all these, they must necessarily admit also that testimony concerning Paul, when he (Luke) tells us that the Lord spoke at first to him from heaven: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? I am Jesus Christ, whom thou persecutest;" and then to Ananias, saying regarding him: "Go thy way; for he is a chosen …