Add parallel Print Page Options

22 Paul wen say, “My bruddas an faddas, listen to me! I like talk fo myself.” Wen dey hear dat he wen talk da local language to dem, den dey wen pau yell, an wen listen. Den Paul say,

“I one Jewish guy. I wen born Tarsus town, Cilicia side. But I wen grow up ova hea inside Jerusalem. I wen go school hea, an Gamaliel was my teacha. I learn all da stuff from our ancesta guys rules, an I wen go all out fo God jalike all you guys dat stay hea now. Da peopo dat stay tight wit dis Jesus Way, I wen make um suffa an wen kill um. I wen bus da guys an da wahines an wen throw um inside da jail. Da Head Priest guy an all da main leada guys, dey can tell you guys dat dis stay true. I even wen get lettas from dem fo da Jewish peopo Damascus side, dat say I get da right fo bring back Jesus guys to Jerusalem, fo throw um inside da jail an make um suffa. An I wen go ova dea fo do dat.

Paul Tell Da Peopo He Wen Change

“Den wen almos noon time I wen come near Damascus, an right den an dea had one big light from da sky dat wen flash aroun me. I wen fall down on top da groun, an I hear one voice dat tell me, ‘Saul! Saul! How come you make me suffa?’ I say, ‘Who you, Boss?’ He tell, ‘I Jesus from Nazaret, da guy you make suffa.’ Da guys dat wen go wit me wen see da light, but dey neva hear da voice dat wen talk to me. 10 I say, ‘Wat I gotta do, Boss?’ An da Boss tell me, ‘Stand up an go Damascus. Ova dea dey goin tell you all da stuff you gotta do.’ 11 My friends wen take my hand an wen lead me inside Damascus, cuz da light stay so bright I wen come blind an no can see notting.

12 “One guy name Ananias wen come by me. He go all out fo do all da stuff Godʼs Rules say, an all da Jewish peopo ova dea get respeck fo him. 13 He stand by my side, an say, ‘Brudda Saul, you can see now!’ An right den an dea I can see him. 14 He say, ‘Our ancestas God wen pick you fo know wat he like do, an fo see Christ, da Guy Dat Stay Right, an fo hear wat he say. 15 You goin be da one fo tell all da peopo wat you wen see an hear bout him. 16 An now, wat you waiting fo? Stand up, go get baptize. An all da bad kine stuff you wen do, da Boss goin clean um up an throw um away, cuz you aks him fo help you.’

Paul Gotta Tell Da Peopo Dat Not Jews

17 “I wen go back to Jerusalem, an I stay praying inside da temple. I wen see someting jalike one dream, an see da Boss talking. 18 He tell me, ‘Hurry up! Go way from Jerusalem right now, cuz dey no goin like da stuff you say bout me!’ 19 I tell him, ‘Boss, dey know I wen go from one Jewish church to anodda fo throw da peopo dat stay trus you inside jail, an bus um up. 20 An wen dey kill da guy Stephen dat wen talk fo you, I wen stand dea an tell um, “Dass good!” an I wen take care da clotheses fo da guys dat stay killing him.’ 21 But da Boss tell me, ‘Go. I goin send you far away by da diffren peopos dat not Jews.’ ”

22 Da peopo wen listen to Paul till he say dat. Den dey wen start fo yell, “Kill um! Mo betta he no stay no moa!” 23 Dey yell, an wave dea coats aroun, an throw da kine dust up in da air. 24 Da main captain fo da Rome army guys wen tell his guys fo take Paul inside da army place. Da captain wen tell um fo whip him real hard, an fo make him talk so da captain can know how come da peopo wen yell at him lidat. 25 Wen dey wen stretch him out fo whip him real hard, Paul wen tell da captain dat stay dea, “Dis okay in da rules fo da Rome peopo? fo you fo whip one guy dat get da same rights jalike da Rome peopo? even one guy dat neva do notting wrong?”

26 Wen da captain hear dat, he wen go an tell da main captain, “Wat you goin do? Dis guy get da same rights jalike da Rome peopo!”

27 Da main captain wen go by Paul an tell, “Eh, tell me, you get da same rights jalike one Rome guy, o wat?”

Paul say, “Dass right.”

28 Den da main captain wen say, “I wen pay plenny money fo get da same rights jalike one Rome guy.”

Paul say, “But I wen born wit da same rights jalike one Rome guy.” 29 Right den an dea da guys dat wen start fo make him talk wen go outside. Da main captain, he come scared wen he wen know dat he wen tie up Paul wit chains, an Paul one guy dat get da same rights jalike one Rome guy.

Paul In Front Da Main Leadas

30 Da nex day da main captain wen like find out fo real kine, why da Jewish guys wen poin finga at Paul. He wen let him go outa jail, an tell da main priest guys an all da main leada guys fo come togedda. Den he wen bring Paul, an put him in front dem.

22 “Brothers and fathers,(A) listen now to my defense.”

When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,(B) they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: “I am a Jew,(C) born in Tarsus(D) of Cilicia,(E) but brought up in this city. I studied under(F) Gamaliel(G) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.(H) I was just as zealous(I) for God as any of you are today. I persecuted(J) the followers of this Way(K) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,(L) as the high priest and all the Council(M) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates(N) in Damascus,(O) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.(P) I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

“‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,(Q) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light,(R) but they did not understand the voice(S) of him who was speaking to me.

10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’(T) 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.(U)

12 “A man named Ananias came to see me.(V) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.(W) 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors(X) has chosen you to know his will and to see(Y) the Righteous One(Z) and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness(AA) to all people of what you have seen(AB) and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized(AC) and wash your sins away,(AD) calling on his name.’(AE)

17 “When I returned to Jerusalem(AF) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance(AG) 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison(AH) and beat(AI) those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’(AJ)

21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ (AK)

Paul the Roman Citizen

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him!(AL) He’s not fit to live!”(AM)

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks(AN) and flinging dust into the air,(AO) 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.(AP) He directed(AQ) that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”(AR)

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 Those who were about to interrogate him(AS) withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen,(AT) in chains.(AU)

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

30 The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews.(AV) So the next day he released him(AW) and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin(AX) to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 22:20 Or witness