Acts of the Apostles

New Testament

Rainbow Missions, Inc. World English Bible. Rainbow Missions, Inc.; revision of the American Standard Version of 1901. http://ebible.org/bible/web.

When I couldn't see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived there,

came to me, and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' In that very hour I looked up at him.

He said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'

"It happened that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

and saw him saying to me, 'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.'

I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.'

"He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.'"

They listened to him until he said that, then they lifted up their voice, and said, "Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn't fit to live!"

As they cried out, and threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,

the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that.

When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?"

When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, "Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!"

The commanding officer came and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" He said, "Yes."

The commanding officer answered, "I bought my citizenship for a great price." Paul said, "But I was born a Roman."

Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.