021:037 When he was about to be taken into the barracks, Paul said
to the Tribune, "May I speak to you?" "Do you know Greek?"
the Tribune asked.
021:038 "Are you not the Egyptian who some years ago excited the riot
of the 4,000 cut-throats, and led them out into the Desert?"
021:039 "I am a Jew," replied Paul, "belonging to Tarsus in Cilicia,
and am a citizen of no unimportant city. Give me leave,
I pray you, to speak to the people."
021:040 So with his permission Paul stood on the steps and motioned
with his hand to the people to be quiet; and when there was
perfect silence he addressed them in Hebrew.
022:001 "Brethren and fathers," he said, "listen to my defence which I
now make before you."
022:002 And on hearing him address them in Hebrew, they kept all
the more quiet; and he said,
022:003 "I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in
this city. I was carefully trained at the feet of Gamaliel
in the Law of our forefathers, and, like all of you to-day,
was zealous for God.
022:004 I persecuted to death this new faith, continually binding
both men and women and throwing them into prison;
022:005 as the High Priest also and all the Elders can bear me witness.
It was, too, from them that I received letters to the brethren
in Damascus, and I was already on my way to Damascus,
intending to bring those also who had fled there, in chains
to Jerusalem, to be punished.
022:006 "But on my way, when I was now not far from Damascus, about noon
a sudden blaze of light from Heaven shone round me.
022:007 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, "`Saul, Saul,
why are you persecuting Me?'