Acts 22:19–27

¹⁹I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.↗

²⁰When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’↗

²¹“He said to me,‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”↗

²²They 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!”↗

²³As they cried out, threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,↗

²⁴the 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.↗

²⁵When they had tied him up with straps, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”↗

²⁶When 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!”↗

²⁷The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”↗