Acts 22:17-29 - Paul's Call To Preach To The Gentiles

¹⁷ 'And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance, ¹⁸ and I saw him saying to me, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me;

¹⁹ and I said, Lord, they -- they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing on thee; ²⁰ and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was being poured forth, I also was standing by and assenting to his death, and keeping the garments of those putting him to death;

²¹ and he said unto me, Go, because to nations far off I will send thee.'

²² And they were hearing him unto this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, 'Away from the earth with such an one; for it is not fit for him to live.'

²³ And they crying out and casting up their garments, and throwing dust into the air, ²⁴ the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, saying, 'By scourges let him be examined;' that he might know for what cause they were crying so against him. ²⁵ And as he was stretching him with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who was standing by, 'A man, a Roman, uncondemned -- is it lawful to you to scourge;'

²⁶ and the centurion having heard, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, 'Take heed what thou art about to do, for this man is a Roman;'

²⁷ and the chief captain having come near, said to him, 'Tell me, art thou a Roman?' and he said, 'Yes;'

²⁸ and the chief captain answered, 'I, with a great sum, did obtain this citizenship;' but Paul said, 'But I have been even born so.'

²⁹ Immediately, therefore, they departed from him who are about to examine him, and the chief captain also was afraid, having learned that he is a Roman, and because he had bound him,