Acts 22 (NMV)
1 "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you."
2 When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even more quiet. He continued:
3 "I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
4 I persecuted this Way [followers of Jesus] to the death, arresting and delivering both men and women into prison,
5 as both the high priest and the entire council of elders can testify about me. I even received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there to bring those who were there back to Jerusalem in chains to be punished.
6 As I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon, a bright light from the sky suddenly flashed around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'
8 I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, the One you are persecuting.'
9 Now those who were with me saw the light, but they didn't understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
10 I said, 'What should I do, Lord?' The Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that has been assigned for you to do.'
11 Since I couldn't see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.
12 A man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there,
13 came and stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, regain your sight.' And in that very moment I could see him.
14 Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors has appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of His voice,
15 for you will be His witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.
16 And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'
17 After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance
18 and saw Him telling me, 'Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'
19 But I said, 'Lord, they know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believe in You.
20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing there approving it and guarding the coats of those who killed him.'
21 He said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles [non-Jews].'"
22 They listened to him up to this point. Then they raised their voices, shouting, "Rid the earth of this man! He's not fit to live!"
23 As they were yelling and flinging off their cloaks and throwing dust into the air,
24 the commander ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be interrogated under flogging so he could find out why they were shouting against him like this.
25 As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen without a trial?"
26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and said, "What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen!"
27 The commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.
28 The commander replied, "I paid a large amount of money for my citizenship." "But I was born a citizen," Paul replied.
29 So those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander was also alarmed when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him.
30 The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.