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Leviticus 25
New King James Version
Leviticus 25
New King James Version
The Sabbath of the Seventh Year(A)
25 And the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount (B)Sinai, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall (C)keep a sabbath to the Lord. 3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; 4 but in the (D)seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn (E)rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. 5 (F)What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. 6 And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, 7 for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land—all its produce shall be for food.
The Year of Jubilee
8 ‘And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. 9 Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; (G)on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. 10 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and (H)proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; (I)and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family. 11 That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it (J)you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. 12 For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; (K)you shall eat its produce from the field.
13 (L)‘In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession. 14 And if you sell anything to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor’s hand, you shall not (M)oppress one another. 15 (N)According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you. 16 According to the multitude of years you shall increase its price, and according to the fewer number of years you shall diminish its price; for he sells to you according to the number of the years of the crops. 17 Therefore (O)you shall not [a]oppress one another, (P)but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.
Provisions for the Seventh Year
18 (Q)‘So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them; (R)and you will dwell in the land in safety. 19 Then the land will yield its fruit, and (S)you will eat your fill, and dwell there in safety.
20 ‘And if you say, (T)“What shall we eat in the seventh year, since (U)we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?” 21 Then I will (V)command My blessing on you in the (W)sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. 22 (X)And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat (Y)old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.
Redemption of Property
23 ‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for (Z)the land is Mine; for you are (AA)strangers and sojourners with Me. 24 And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land.
25 (AB)‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if (AC)his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold. 26 Or if the man has no one to redeem it, but he himself becomes able to redeem it, 27 then (AD)let him count the years since its sale, and restore the remainder to the man to whom he sold it, that he may return to his possession. 28 But if he is not able to have it restored to himself, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee; (AE)and in the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his possession.
29 ‘If a man sells a house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year he may redeem it. 30 But if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee. 31 However the houses of villages which have no wall around them shall be counted as the fields of the country. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee. 32 Nevertheless (AF)the cities of the Levites, and the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time. 33 And if a man purchases a house from the Levites, then the house that was sold in the city of his possession shall be released in the Jubilee; for the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. 34 But (AG)the field of the common-land of their cities may not be (AH)sold, for it is their perpetual possession.
Lending to the Poor
35 ‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and [b]falls into poverty among you, then you shall (AI)help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. 36 (AJ)Take no usury or interest from him; but (AK)fear your God, that your brother may live with you. 37 You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit. 38 (AL)I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.
The Law Concerning Slavery
39 ‘And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave. 40 As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 And then he shall depart from you—he and his children (AM)with him—and shall return to his own family. He shall return to the possession of his fathers. 42 For they are (AN)My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. 43 (AO)You shall not rule over him (AP)with [c]rigor, but you (AQ)shall fear your God. 44 And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have—from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves. 45 Moreover you may buy (AR)the children of the strangers who dwell among you, and their families who are with you, which they beget in your land; and they shall become your property. 46 And (AS)you may take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them as a possession; they shall be your permanent slaves. But regarding your brethren, the children of Israel, you shall not rule over one another with rigor.
47 ‘Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich, and one of your brethren who dwells by him becomes poor, and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner close to you, or to a member of the stranger’s family, 48 after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him; 49 or his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him; or anyone who is near of kin to him in his family may redeem him; or if he is able he may redeem himself. 50 Thus he shall reckon with him who bought him: The price of his release shall be according to the number of years, from the year that he was sold to him until the Year of Jubilee; it shall be (AT)according to the time of a hired servant for him. 51 If there are still many years remaining, according to them he shall repay the price of his redemption from the money with which he was bought. 52 And if there remain but a few years until the Year of Jubilee, then he shall reckon with him, and according to his years he shall repay him the price of his redemption. 53 He shall be with him as a yearly hired servant, and he shall not rule with rigor over him in your sight. 54 And if he is not redeemed in these years, then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee—he and his children with him. 55 For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
Footnotes
- Leviticus 25:17 mistreat
- Leviticus 25:35 Lit. his hand fails
- Leviticus 25:43 severity
Leviticus 25
New International Version
Leviticus 25
New International Version
The Sabbath Year
25 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai,(A) 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. 3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.(B) 4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest,(C) a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.(D) 5 Do not reap what grows of itself(E) or harvest the grapes(F) of your untended vines.(G) The land is to have a year of rest. 6 Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year(H) will be food for you—for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, 7 as well as for your livestock and the wild animals(I) in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.
The Year of Jubilee(J)(K)
8 “‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9 Then have the trumpet(L) sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month;(M) on the Day of Atonement(N) sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty(O) throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee(P) for you; each of you is to return to your family property(Q) and to your own clan. 11 The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee(R) for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines.(S) 12 For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.
13 “‘In this Year of Jubilee(T) everyone is to return to their own property.
14 “‘If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do not take advantage of each other.(U) 15 You are to buy from your own people on the basis of the number of years(V) since the Jubilee. And they are to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. 16 When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price,(W) because what is really being sold to you is the number of crops. 17 Do not take advantage of each other,(X) but fear your God.(Y) I am the Lord your God.(Z)
18 “‘Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws,(AA) and you will live safely in the land.(AB) 19 Then the land will yield its fruit,(AC) and you will eat your fill and live there in safety.(AD) 20 You may ask, “What will we eat in the seventh year(AE) if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” 21 I will send you such a blessing(AF) in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years.(AG) 22 While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.(AH)
23 “‘The land(AI) must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine(AJ) and you reside in my land as foreigners(AK) and strangers. 24 Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption(AL) of the land.
25 “‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative(AM) is to come and redeem(AN) what they have sold. 26 If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper(AO) and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, 27 they are to determine the value for the years(AP) since they sold it and refund the balance to the one to whom they sold it; they can then go back to their own property.(AQ) 28 But if they do not acquire the means to repay, what was sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned(AR) in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property.(AS)
29 “‘Anyone who sells a house in a walled city retains the right of redemption a full year after its sale. During that time the seller may redeem it. 30 If it is not redeemed before a full year has passed, the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to the buyer and the buyer’s descendants. It is not to be returned in the Jubilee. 31 But houses in villages without walls around them are to be considered as belonging to the open country. They can be redeemed, and they are to be returned in the Jubilee.
32 “‘The Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the Levitical towns,(AT) which they possess. 33 So the property of the Levites is redeemable—that is, a house sold in any town they hold—and is to be returned in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the Israelites. 34 But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession.(AU)
35 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor(AV) and are unable to support themselves among you, help them(AW) as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. 36 Do not take interest(AX) or any profit from them, but fear your God,(AY) so that they may continue to live among you. 37 You must not lend them money at interest(AZ) or sell them food at a profit. 38 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan(BA) and to be your God.(BB)
39 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves.(BC) 40 They are to be treated as hired workers(BD) or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property(BE) of their ancestors.(BF) 42 Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt,(BG) they must not be sold as slaves. 43 Do not rule over them ruthlessly,(BH) but fear your God.(BI)
44 “‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.
47 “‘If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves(BJ) to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, 48 they retain the right of redemption(BK) after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives(BL) may redeem them: 49 An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper,(BM) they may redeem themselves. 50 They and their buyer are to count the time from the year they sold themselves up to the Year of Jubilee.(BN) The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker(BO) for that number of years. 51 If many years remain, they must pay for their redemption a larger share of the price paid for them. 52 If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they are to compute that and pay for their redemption accordingly.(BP) 53 They are to be treated as workers hired from year to year; you must see to it that those to whom they owe service do not rule over them ruthlessly.(BQ)
54 “‘Even if someone is not redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, 55 for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt.(BR) I am the Lord your God.(BS)
Psalm 25-26
New King James Version
Psalm 25-26
New King James Version
A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness
A Psalm of David.
25 To (A)You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I (B)trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
(C)Let not my enemies triumph over me.
3 Indeed, let no one who [a]waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
4 (D)Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O Lord, (E)Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
7 Do not remember (F)the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
(G)According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9 The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
11 (H)For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
12 Who is the man that fears the Lord?
(I)Him shall [b]He teach in the way He chooses.
13 (J)He himself shall dwell in [c]prosperity,
And (K)his descendants shall inherit the earth.
14 (L)The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
15 (M)My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall [d]pluck my feet out of the net.
16 (N)Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am [e]desolate and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses!
18 (O)Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins.
19 Consider my enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with [f]cruel hatred.
20 Keep my soul, and deliver me;
Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.
22 (P)Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all their troubles!
A Prayer for Divine Scrutiny and Redemption
A Psalm of David.
26 Vindicate (Q)me, O Lord,
For I have (R)walked in my integrity.
(S)I have also trusted in the Lord;
I shall not slip.
2 (T)Examine me, O Lord, and [g]prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
3 For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And (U)I have walked in Your truth.
4 I have not (V)sat with idolatrous mortals,
Nor will I go in with hypocrites.
5 I have (W)hated the assembly of evildoers,
And will not sit with the wicked.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence;
So I will go about Your altar, O Lord,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And tell of all Your wondrous works.
8 Lord, (X)I have loved the habitation of Your house,
And the place [h]where Your glory dwells.
9 (Y)Do[i] not gather my soul with sinners,
Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 In whose hands is a sinister scheme,
And whose right hand is full of (Z)bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
12 (AA)My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 25:3 Waits for You in faith
- Psalm 25:12 Or he
- Psalm 25:13 Lit. goodness
- Psalm 25:15 Lit. bring out
- Psalm 25:16 lonely
- Psalm 25:19 violent hatred
- Psalm 26:2 test me
- Psalm 26:8 Lit. of the tabernacle of Your glory
- Psalm 26:9 Do not take away
Psalm 25-26
New International Version
Psalm 25-26
New International Version
Psalm 25[a]
Of David.
1 In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.(A)
2 I trust in you;(B)
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,(C)
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous(D) without cause.
4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.(E)
5 Guide me in your truth(F) and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,(G)
and my hope is in you(H) all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,(I)
for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth(J)
and my rebellious ways;(K)
according to your love(L) remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.(M)
8 Good and upright(N) is the Lord;
therefore he instructs(O) sinners in his ways.
9 He guides(P) the humble in what is right
and teaches them(Q) his way.
10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful(R)
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.(S)
11 For the sake of your name,(T) Lord,
forgive(U) my iniquity,(V) though it is great.
12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?(W)
He will instruct them in the ways(X) they should choose.[b]
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,(Y)
and their descendants will inherit the land.(Z)
14 The Lord confides(AA) in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known(AB) to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,(AC)
for only he will release my feet from the snare.(AD)
16 Turn to me(AE) and be gracious to me,(AF)
for I am lonely(AG) and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles(AH) of my heart
and free me from my anguish.(AI)
18 Look on my affliction(AJ) and my distress(AK)
and take away all my sins.(AL)
19 See how numerous are my enemies(AM)
and how fiercely they hate me!(AN)
20 Guard my life(AO) and rescue me;(AP)
do not let me be put to shame,(AQ)
for I take refuge(AR) in you.
21 May integrity(AS) and uprightness(AT) protect me,
because my hope, Lord,[c] is in you.(AU)
22 Deliver Israel,(AV) O God,
from all their troubles!
Psalm 26
Of David.
1 Vindicate me,(AW) Lord,
for I have led a blameless life;(AX)
I have trusted(AY) in the Lord
and have not faltered.(AZ)
2 Test me,(BA) Lord, and try me,
examine my heart and my mind;(BB)
3 for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love(BC)
and have lived(BD) in reliance on your faithfulness.(BE)
4 I do not sit(BF) with the deceitful,
nor do I associate with hypocrites.(BG)
5 I abhor(BH) the assembly of evildoers
and refuse to sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence,(BI)
and go about your altar, Lord,
7 proclaiming aloud your praise(BJ)
and telling of all your wonderful deeds.(BK)
8 Lord, I love(BL) the house where you live,
the place where your glory dwells.(BM)
9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
my life with those who are bloodthirsty,(BN)
10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,(BO)
whose right hands are full of bribes.(BP)
11 I lead a blameless life;
deliver me(BQ) and be merciful to me.
Footnotes
- Psalm 25:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- Psalm 25:12 Or ways he chooses
- Psalm 25:21 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have Lord.
Acts 22
New King James Version
Acts 22
New King James Version
Paul’s Defense at Jerusalem
22 “Brethren(A) and fathers, hear my defense before you now.” 2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the (B)Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent.
Then he said: 3 (C)“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city (D)at the feet of (E)Gamaliel, taught (F)according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and (G)was zealous toward God (H)as you all are today. 4 (I)I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and (J)all the council of the elders, (K)from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus (L)to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “Now (M)it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8 So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’
9 “And (N)those who were with me indeed saw the light [a]and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. 10 So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 “Then (O)a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, (P)having a good testimony with all the (Q)Jews who dwelt there, 13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. 14 Then he said, (R)‘The God of our fathers (S)has chosen you that you should (T)know His will, and (U)see the Just One, (V)and hear the voice of His mouth. 15 (W)For you will be His witness to all men of (X)what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, (Y)and wash away your sins, (Z)calling on the name of the Lord.’
17 “Now (AA)it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18 and (AB)saw Him saying to me, (AC)‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ 19 So I said, ‘Lord, (AD)they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and (AE)beat those who believe on You. 20 (AF)And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by (AG)consenting [b]to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21 Then He said to me, ‘Depart, (AH)for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”
Paul’s Roman Citizenship
22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, (AI)“Away with such a fellow from the earth, for (AJ)he is not fit to live!” 23 Then, as they cried out and [c]tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, (AK)“Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”
26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”
27 Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?”
He said, “Yes.”
28 The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.”
And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”
29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
The Sanhedrin Divided
30 The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.
Footnotes
- Acts 22:9 NU omits and were afraid
- Acts 22:20 NU omits to his death
- Acts 22:23 Lit. threw
Acts 22
New International Version
Acts 22
New International Version
22 1 “Brothers and fathers,(A) listen now to my defense.”
2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,(B) they became very quiet.
Then Paul said: 3 “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. 4 I persecuted(J) the followers of this Way(K) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,(L) 5 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.
6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.(P) 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’
8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,(Q) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 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
- Acts 22:20 Or witness
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.