(Act 9:1-19; Acts 22:1-16; Acts 26:9-18)
22:1 Men, 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,)
22:3 I am verily a man [which am] a Yehudi, born in Tarsos, [a city] in Kilikia, yet brought up in a Yeshiva in this city of Yerushalayim at the feet of Rabban Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner of the Torah of the fathers, and was zealous toward Elohim, as ye all are this day.
22:4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
22:5 As also the Kohen Gadol doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Demeshek, to bring them which were there bound unto Yerushalayim, for to be punished.
22:6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Demeshek about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
22:7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Shaul, Shaul, why persecutest thou me?
22:8 And I answered, Who art thou, Adonay? And he said unto me, Ani Yeshua (ישוע) Nazaret, whom thou persecutest.
22:9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they did not hear the voice of Him that spoke to me.
22:10 And I said, What shall I do, Adonay? And the Adonay said unto me, Arise, and go into Demeshek; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
22:11 And 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 Demeshek.
22:12 And one Chananyah, a devout man according to the Torah, having a good report of all the Yehudim which dwelt [there],
22:13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Ach b' Moshiach Shaul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
22:14 And he said, The Elohim of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that righteous One, and shouldest hear the voice of His mouth.
22:15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
22:16 And now why do you delay?
Arise, and be immersed, and wash away your sins, calling on the Name. (Yoel 3:5 (2:32)).
22:17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Yerushalayim, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
22:18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Yerushalayim: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
22:19 And I said, Adonay, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every Shul them that believed on thee:
22:20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephanos was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
22:21 And he said unto me:
Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
22:22 And 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.
22:23 And as they cried out, and cast off [their] clothes, and threw dust into the air,
22:24 The 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.
22:25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paulos said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
22:26 When the centurion heard [that], he went and told the chief captain, saying:
Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
22:27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
22:28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paulos said, But I was [free] born.
22:29 Then 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.
22:30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Yehudim, he loosed him from [his] bands, and commanded the Rashei Hakohanim and all their Sanhedrin to appear, and brought Paulos down, and set him before them.