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Chapter 22
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1
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Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which
I make now unto you. |
2
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(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue
to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) |
3
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I 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. |
4
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And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and
delivering into prisons both men and women. |
5
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As 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. |
6
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And 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. |
7
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And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying
unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? |
8
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And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto
me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. |
9
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And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and
were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that
spake to me. |
10
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And 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. |
11
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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 Damascus. |
12
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And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law,
having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, |
13
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Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother
Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up
upon him. |
14
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And 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. |
15
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For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what
thou hast seen and heard. |
16
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And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized,
and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. |
17
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And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to
Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in
a trance; |
18
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And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee
quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy
testimony concerning me. |
19
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And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat
in every synagogue them that believed on thee: |
20
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And 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. |
21
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And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far
hence unto the Gentiles. |
22
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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. |
23
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And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes,
and threw dust into the air, |
24
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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. |
25
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And 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? |
26
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When the centurion heard that, he went and told the
chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for
this man is a Roman. |
27
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Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell
me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. |
28
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And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained
I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. |
29
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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. |
30
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On 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. |
