CHAPTER 22
1 Brethren and fathers, hear ye what reason I yield now to you.
2 And when some heard that in (the) Hebrew tongue he spake to them, they gave the more silence [or they gave more silence]. And he said,
3 I am a man a Jew, born at Tarsus of Cilicia, nourished and in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel [or nourished forsooth in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel], taught by the truth of (our) fathers’ law, a lover [or a follower] of the law (or an ardent follower of the Law), as also ye all be today.
4 And I pursued this way till to the death, binding [together] and betaking into holds men and women, (And I persecuted the followers of this way unto the death, taking them captive, and delivering them to prison, yea, both men and women,)
5 as the prince of priests yieldeth witnessing to me, and all the greatest of birth [or and all the more in birth]. Of whom also I took epistles to (the) brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring from thence men bound into Jerusalem, that they should be pained. (as the High Priest, and all the greatest of birth, or the elders, have testified about me. And from whom I took letters to the brothers, and went to Damascus, to bring back to Jerusalem from there men in bondage, so that they could be punished.)
6 And it was done, while I went, and nighed to Damascus (or and approached to Damascus), at midday suddenly from heaven a great plenty of light [or a copious light] shone about me.
7 And I felled down to the earth, and heard a voice from heaven, saying to me, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me? It is hard to thee, to kick against the prick, [+or It is hard for thee, to kick against the prick]. (And I fell down to the ground, and heard a voice from heaven, saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee, to kick against the prod.)
8 And I answered, Who art thou Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou pursuest, (or I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest).
9 And they that were with me saw but the light, but they heard not the voice of him, that spake with me, (or but they did not hear the voice of him, who spoke with me).
10 And I said, Lord, what shall I do? And the Lord said to me, Rise thou, and go to Damascus; and there it shall be said to thee, of all (the) things which it behooveth thee to do.
11 And when I saw not, for the clarity of that light, I was led by the hand of fellows, and I came to Damascus. (And when I saw not, because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hands of my fellows, and I came to Damascus.)
12 And a man, Ananias, that by the law had (the) witnessing of all (the) Jews dwelling in Damascus, (And a man, Ananias, who lived by the Law, and received good testimony from all the Jews living in Damascus,)
13 came to me, and stood nigh, and said to me, Saul, brother, behold. And I in the same hour beheld into him (or And at that very moment I saw him).
14 And he said, (The) God of our fathers hath before-ordained thee, that thou shouldest know the will of him, and shouldest see the rightful man, [that is, (the) just Christ], and hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witness to all men, of those things that thou hast seen and heard.
16 And now, what dwellest thou? (or And now, why waitest thou?) Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, by the name of him called to help, [or Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, (and) in-call the name of him].
17 And it was done to me, as I turned again into Jerusalem (or after I returned to Jerusalem), and prayed in the temple, that I was made in (a) ravishing of (the) soul,
18 and I saw him saying to me, Hie thou, and go out fast of Jerusalem, for they shall not receive thy witnessing of me. (and I saw him saying to me, Haste thou, and quickly go out of Jerusalem, for they shall not accept thy testimony about me.)
19 And I said, Lord, they know, that I was (en)closing together in prison, and beating by synagogues them that believed into thee [or and beating by synagogues them that believed in thee]. (And I said, Lord, they know, that I was enclosing in prison, and beating in the synagogues, those who believed in thee.)
20 And when the blood of Stephen, thy witness, was shed out, I stood nigh, and consented, and kept the clothes of (the) men that slew him.
21 And he said to me, Go thou, for I shall send thee far (away) to (the) nations.
22 And they heard him till [to] this word; and they raised their voice, and said, Take away from the earth such a manner man; for it is not leaveful that he live. (And they listened to him until this word; and then they raised up their voices, and said, Take away such a manner man from the earth; for it is not lawful that he live.)
23 And when they cried, and cast away their clothes, and threw dust in the air,
24 the tribune commanded him to be led into the castles, and to be beaten with scourges, and to be tormented, that he knew [or that he should know], for what cause they cried so to him. (the commander ordered him to be brought into the fortress, and then to be beaten with scourges, and to be tormented, so that he could know, for what reason they shouted so about him.)
25 And when they had bound him with cords [or And when they had restrained him with ropes], Paul said to a centurion standing nigh to him, Whether it is leaveful to you (or Is it lawful for you), to scourge a Roman, and (someone) uncondemned?
26 And when this thing was heard, the centurion went to the tribune (or the commander), and told to him, and said, What art thou to doing? for this man is a citizen of Rome.
27 And the tribune came nigh, and said to him, Say thou to me, whether thou art a Roman? And he said, Yea.
28 And the tribune answered, I with much sum got this freedom. And Paul said, And I was born a citizen of Rome.
29 Therefore anon, they that should have tormented him, departed away from him. And the tribune dreaded, after that he knew, that he was a citizen of Rome, and for he had bound him [or and that he had bound him]. (And so at once, those who would have tormented him, went away from him. And the commander feared, after that he knew, that he was a citizen of Rome, and because he had bound him.)
30 But in the day (pur)suing he would know more diligently, for what cause he were accused of the Jews, and unbound him, and commanded (the) priests and all the council to come together. And he brought forth Paul, and set him among them. (But on the following day, because he wanted to know, for what reason Paul was accused by the Jews, he unbound him, and commanded the priests and all the Council to come to him. And then he brought forth Paul, and set him among them.)