2)who immediately took with him soldiers and centurions, and ran
down to them; and they, seeing the chief captain and the soldiers,
left off beating Paul. (33)Then the chief captain came near, and took
hold of him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and
inquired who he was, and what he had done. (34)And some cried one
thing, some another, among the multitude; and not being able to know
the certainty on account of the tumult, he commanded him to be led
into the castle. (35)And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that
he was borne by the soldiers on account of the violence of the people.
(36)For the multitude of the people followed after, crying: Away with
him.

(37)And as he was about to be led into the castle, Paul says to the
chief captain: May I speak to thee? And he said: Canst thou speak
Greek? (38)Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days made
an uproar, and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of
the assassins? (39)And Paul said: I am a Jew of Tarsus, a citizen of
no obscure city of Cilicia; and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak to
the people.

(40)And he having given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs,
beckoned with the hand to the people. And a great silence ensuing, he
spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, saying:

XXII.

BRETHREN, and fathers, hear my defense, which I now make to you.
(2)And hearing that he spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept
the more silence. (3)And he says: I am a Jew, born indeed in Tarsus of
Cilicia, but brought up in this city, taught at the feet of Gamaliel,
according to the strictness of the law of the fathers, being zealous
for God, as ye all are this day. (4)And I persecuted this Way unto
death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. (5)As
also the high priest bears me witness, and all the eldership; from
whom, moreover, I received letters to the brethren, and was journeying
to Damascus, to bring also those who were there bound to Jerusalem,
that they might be punished.

(6)And it came to pass, that as I journeyed, and came near to
Damascus, about midday, there suddenly flashed around me a great light
out of heaven. (7)And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying
to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? (8)And I answered: Who art
thou, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou
persecutest. (9)And they who were with me beheld indeed the light, and
were afraid; but the voi