Acts · Majority Standard Bible
Acts 22 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
1 Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πατέρες, ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς νυνὶ ἀπολογίας.
2 When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. Then Paul declared,
2 ἀκούσαντες δὲ ὅτι τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ προσεφώνει αὐτοῖς, μᾶλλον παρέσχον ἡσυχίαν.
3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
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 I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
4 ὃς ταύτην τὴν ὁδὸν ἐδίωξα ἄχρι θανάτου, δεσμεύων καὶ παραδιδοὺς εἰς φυλακὰς ἄνδρας τε καὶ γυναῖκας,
5 as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them 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 About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
6 Ἐγένετο δέ μοι πορευομένῳ καὶ ἐγγίζοντι τῇ Δαμασκῷ περὶ μεσημβρίαν ἐξαίφνης ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ περιαστράψαι φῶς ἱκανὸν περὶ ἐμέ,
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
7 ἔπεσόν τε εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς λεγούσης μοι· Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;
8 ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
8 ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπεκρίθην· τίς εἶ, Κύριε; εἶπέ τε πρός με· ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὃν σὺ διώκεις.
9 My companions saw the light and were terrified, but they could not understand the voice of the One 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 Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed 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 Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.
11 ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἐνέβλεπον ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου, χειραγωγούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν συνόντων μοι ἦλθον εἰς Δαμασκόν.
12 There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,
12 Ἀνανίας δέ τις, ἀνὴρ εὐσεβὴς κατὰ τὸν νόμον, μαρτυρούμενος ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν κατοικούντων [ἐν Δαμασκῷ] Ἰουδαίων,
13 came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.
13 ἐλθὼν πρός με καὶ ἐπιστὰς εἶπέ μοι· Σαοὺλ ἀδελφέ, ἀνάβλεψον. κἀγὼ αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἀνέβλεψα εἰς αὐτόν.
14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice.
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 You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
15 ὅτι ἔσῃ μάρτυς αὐτῷ πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὧν ἑώρακας καὶ ἤκουσας.
16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on the name of the Lord.’
16 καὶ νῦν τί μέλλεις; ἀναστὰς βάπτισαι καὶ ἀπόλουσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, ἐπικαλεσάμενος τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου.
17 Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
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 the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’
18 σπεῦσον καὶ ἔξελθε ἐν τάχει ἐξ Ἱερουσαλήμ, διότι οὐ παραδέξονταί σου τὴν μαρτυρίαν περὶ ἐμοῦ.
19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.
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 Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval to his death and watching over the garments of those 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 Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
21 καὶ εἶπε πρός με· πορεύου, ὅτι ἐγὼ εἰς ἔθνη μακρὰν ἐξαποστελῶ σε.
22 The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to 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 As they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
23 κραυγαζόντων δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ ῥιπτόντων τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ κονιορτὸν βαλλόντων εἰς τὸν ἀέρα,
24 the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry 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 he stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”
25 ὡς δὲ προέτειναν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἱμᾶσιν, εἶπε πρὸς τὸν ἑστῶτα ἑκατόνταρχον ὁ Παῦλος· εἰ ἄνθρωπον Ῥωμαῖον καὶ ἀκατάκριτον ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν μαστίζειν;
26 On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “Consider what you are about to do,” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”
26 ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος, προσελθὼν ἀπήγγειλε τῷ χιλιάρχῳ λέγων· ὅρα τί μέλλεις ποιεῖν· ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος Ῥωμαῖός ἐστι.
27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.
27 προσελθὼν δὲ ὁ χιλίαρχος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· λέγε μοι εἰ σὺ Ῥωμαῖος εἶ. ὁ δὲ ἔφη· ναί.
28 “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
28 ἀπεκρίθη τε ὁ χιλίαρχος· ἐγὼ πολλοῦ κεφαλαίου τὴν πολιτείαν ταύτην ἐκτησάμην. ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἔφη· ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ γεγέννημαι.
29 At once those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.
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 The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him from the bonds and ordered the chief priests and their whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand 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 …