Acts 22

New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel

Acts 22

1“Men, brothers and fathers, hear my defense to you now.”Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πατέρες, ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς νυνὶ ἀπολογίας.

2And hearing that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they granted him more silence. And he said:ἀκούσαντες δὲ ὅτι τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ προσεφώνει αὐτοῖς, μᾶλλον παρέσχον ἡσυχίαν. καὶ φησίν,

3“I am indeed a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but having been brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been educated according to the exactness of the law of our forefathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.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·

4I, who persecuted this Way to the death, binding and handing over to prisons both men and women,ὃς ταύτην τὴν Ὁδὸν ἐδίωξα ἄχρι θανάτου, δεσμεύων καὶ παραδιδοὺς εἰς φυλακὰς ἄνδρας τε καὶ γυναῖκας.

5as also the high priest testifies of me, along with the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brothers, and went to Damascus in order to bring those who were there, having been bound, to Jerusalem, that they might be punished.ὡς καὶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς μαρτυρεῖ μοι, καὶ πᾶν τὸ πρεσβυτέριον· παρ᾽ ὧν καὶ ἐπιστολὰς δεξάμενος πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφούς, εἰς Δαμασκὸν ἐπορευόμην, ἄξων καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖσε ὄντας δεδεμένους εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἵνα τιμωρηθῶσιν.

6“Now it happened, as I was going and approaching Damascus, about midday, suddenly from heaven a great light shone about me.Ἐγένετο δέ μοι πορευομένῳ καὶ ἐγγίζοντι τῇ Δαμασκῷ, περὶ μεσημβρίαν, ἐξαίφνης ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ περιαστράψαι φῶς ἱκανὸν περὶ ἐμέ.

7And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ἔπεσά τε εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος, καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς λεγούσης μοι, Σαούλ, Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;

8So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπεκρίθην, Τίς εἶ, Κύριε; εἶπέ τε πρός με, Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὃν σὺ διώκεις.

9“And those who were with me observed the light and became terrified, but they did not hear the voice of the One speaking to me.οἱ δὲ σὺν ἐμοὶ ὄντες τὸ μὲν φῶς ἐθεάσαντο, καὶ ἔμφοβοι ἐγένοντο· τὴν δὲ φωνὴν οὐκ ἤκουσαν τοῦ λαλοῦντός μοι.

10So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and it will be told to you about all the things which it has been appointed for you to do.’Εἶπον δέ, Τί ποιήσω, Κύριε; ὁ δὲ Κύριος εἶπε πρός με, Ἀναστὰς πορεύου εἰς Δαμασκόν· κἀκεῖ σοι λαληθήσεται περὶ πάντων ὧν τέτακταί σοι ποιῆσαι.

11And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, being led by the hand by those who were with me, I came into Damascus.ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἐνέβλεπον ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου, χειραγωγούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν συνόντων μοι, ἦλθον εἰς Δαμασκόν.

12“And Ananias, a certain devout man according to the law, being testified of by all the Jews dwelling in Damascus,Ἀνανίας δέ τις, ἀνὴρ εὐσεβὴς κατὰ τὸν νόμον, μαρτυρούμενος ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν κατοικούντων Ἰουδαίων,

13came to me and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And I, in that very hour, looked up at him.ἐλθὼν πρός με καὶ ἐπιστὰς εἶπέ μοι, Σαοὺλ ἀδελφέ, ἀνάβλεψον. κἀγὼ αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἀνέβλεψα εἰς αὐτόν.

14And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and hear the voice from His mouth.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.

15For you shall be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.ὅτι ἔσῃ μάρτυς αὐτῷ πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὧν ἑώρακας καὶ ἤκουσας.

16And now, what are you going to do? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’καὶ νῦν τί μέλλεις; ἀναστὰς βάπτισαι καὶ ἀπόλουσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, ἐπικαλεσάμενος τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου.

17“And it happened to me, having returned to Jerusalem and praying in the temple, that I came to be in a trance,Ἐγένετο δέ μοι ὑποστρέψαντι εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ προσευχομένου μου ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, γενέσθαι με ἐν ἐκστάσει,

18and saw Him saying to me, ‘Hurry and go out quickly from Jerusalem, for they will not receive your witness about Me.’καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν λέγοντά μοι, Σπεῦσον καὶ ἔξελθε ἐν τάχει ἐξ Ἱερουσαλήμ· διότι οὐ παραδέξονταί σου τὴν μαρτυρίαν περὶ ἐμοῦ.

19And I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I was imprisoning and beating those believing on You.κἀγὼ εἶπον, Κύριε, αὐτοὶ ἐπίστανται ὅτι ἐγὼ ἤμην φυλακίζων καὶ δέρων κατὰ τὰς συναγωγὰς τοὺς πιστεύοντας ἐπὶ σέ·

20And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing by consenting to his murder, and guarding the clothes of those murdering him.’καὶ ὅτε ἐξεχεῖτο τὸ αἷμα Στεφάνου τοῦ μάρτυρός σου, καὶ αὐτὸς ἤμην ἐφεστὼς καὶ συνευδοκῶν τῇ ἀναιρέσει αὐτοῦ, φυλάσσων τὰ ἱμάτια τῶν ἀναιρούντων αὐτόν.

21Then He said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”καὶ εἶπε πρός με, Πορεύου, ὅτι ἐγὼ εἰς ἔθνη μακρὰν ἐξαποστελῶ σε.

22Now they were listening to him until this statement, and they lifted their voice saying, “Take away such a man from the earth, for it is not fitting for him to live!”Ἤκουον δὲ αὐτοῦ ἄχρι τούτου τοῦ λόγου, καὶ ἐπῆραν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν λέγοντες, Αἶρε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν τοιοῦτον· οὐ γὰρ καθῆκεν αὐτὸν ζῆν.

23And as they were crying out and throwing off their clothes, and throwing dust in the air,κραζόντων δὲ αὐτῶν, καὶ ῥιπτούντων τὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ κονιορτὸν βαλλόντων εἰς τὸν ἀέρα,

24the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said for him that he should be given a hearing with scourging, so that he might learn why they were shouting at him like this.ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ὁ χιλίαρχος ἄγεσθαι εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν, εἰπὼν μάστιξιν ἀνετάζεσθαι αὐτόν, ἵνα ἐπιγνῷ δι᾽ ἣν αἰτίαν οὕτως ἐπεφώνουν αὐτῷ.

25But as they were stretching him out with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”ὡς δὲ προέτεινεν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἱμᾶσιν, εἶπε πρὸς τὸν ἑστῶτα ἑκατόνταρχον ὁ Παῦλος, Εἰ ἄνθρωπον Ῥωμαῖον καὶ ἀκατάκριτον ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν μαστίζειν;

26And the centurion, hearing this, going to the commander he reported, saying, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman.”ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος, προσελθὼν ἀπήγγειλε τῷ χιλιάρχῳ λέγων, Ὅρα τί μέλλεις ποιεῖν· ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος Ῥωμαῖός ἐστι.

27Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”προσελθὼν δὲ ὁ χιλίαρχος εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Λέγε μοι, εἰ σὺ Ῥωμαῖος εἶ; ὁ δὲ ἔφη, Ναί.

28And the commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with much money.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”ἀπεκρίθη τε ὁ χιλίαρχος, Ἐγὼ πολλοῦ κεφαλαίου τὴν πολιτείαν ταύτην ἐκτησάμην. ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἔφη, Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ γεγέννημαι.

29Then immediately those who were about to interrogate him withdrew from him; and even the commander was afraid, having learned that he was a Roman, and that he had bound him.εὐθέως οὖν ἀπέστησαν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ οἱ μέλλοντες αὐτὸν ἀνετάζειν. καὶ ὁ χιλίαρχος δὲ ἐφοβήθη, ἐπιγνοὺς ὅτι Ῥωμαῖός ἐστι, καὶ ὅτι ἦν αὐτὸν δεδεκώς.

30Now on the next day, desiring to know the truth as to why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from the bonds, and ordered the chief priests and their whole council to come, and brought Paul down and presented him to them.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.

The Fathers on Acts 22

Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.

On Acts 22:17–20

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 400 AD · Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles

“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; and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 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.”

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