Atos 22

I Mænd, Brødre og Fædre! hører nu mit forsvar over for eder!

Men da de hørte, at han talte til dem i det hebraiske Sprog, holdt de sig end mere stille. Og han siger:

Og jeg forfulgte denne Vej indtil Døden, idet jeg lagde både Mænd og Kvinder i Lænker og overgav dem til Fængsler,

som også Ypperstepræsten vidner med mig og hele Ældsterådet, fra hvem jeg endog fik Breve med til Brødrene i Damaskus og rejste derhen for også at føre dem, som vare der, bundne til Jerusalem, for at de måtte blive straffede.

Men det skete, da jeg var undervejs og nærmede mig til Damaskus, at ved Middag et stærkt Lys fra Himmelen pludseligt omstrålede mig.

Og jeg faldt til Jorden og hørte en Røst, som sagde til mig: Saul! Saul! hvorfor forfølger du mig?

Men jeg svarede: Hvem er du, Herre? Og han sagde til mig: Jeg er Jesus af Nazareth, som du forfølger.

Men de, som vare med mig, så vel Lyset, men hørte ikke hans Røst, som talte til mig.

Men jeg sagde: Hvad skal jeg gøre, Herre? Men Herren sagde til mig: Stå op og gå til Damaskus; og der skal der blive talt til dig om alt, hvad der er bestemt, at du skal gøre.

Men da jeg havde mistet Synet ved Glansen af hint Lys, blev jeg ledet ved Hånden af dem, som vare med mig, og kom således ind i Damaskus.

Men en vis Ananias, en Mand, gudfrygtig efter Loven, som havde godt Vidnesbyrd af alle Jøderne, som boede der,

kom til mig og stod for mig og sagde: Saul, Broder, se op! Og jeg så op på ham i samme Stund.

Men han sagde: Vore Fædres Gud har udvalgt dig til at kende hans Villie og se den retfærdige og høre en Røst af hans Mund.

Thi du skal være ham et Vidne for alle Mennesker om de Ting, som du har set og hørt.

Og nu, hvorfor tøver du? Stå op, lad dig døbe og dine Synder aftvætte, idet du påkalder hans Navn!

Og det skete, da jeg var kommen tilbage til Jerusalem og bad i Helligdommen, at jeg faldt i Henrykkelse

og så ham, idet han sagde til mig: Skynd dig, og gå hastigt ud af Jerusalem, thi de skulle ikke af dig modtage Vidnesbyrd om mig.

Og jeg sagde: Herre! de vide selv, at jeg fængslede og piskede trindt om i Synagogerne dem, som troede på dig,

og da dit Vidne Stefanus's Blod blev udgydt, stod også jeg hos og havde Behag deri og vogtede på deres Klæder, som sloge ham ihjel.

Men da de skrege og reve Klæderne af sig og kastede Støv op i Luften,

befalede Krigsøversten, at han skulde føres ind i Borgen, og sagde, at man med Hudstrygning skulde forhøre ham, for at han kunde få at vide, af hvad Årsag de således råbte imod ham.

Da trak de, som skulde til at forhøre ham, sig straks tilbage fra ham. Og da Krigsøversten fik at vide, at han var en Romer, blev også han bange, fordi han havde bundet ham.

Men den næste Dag, da han vilde have noget pålideligt at vide om, hvad han anklagedes for af Jøderne, løste han ham og befalede, at Ypperstepræsterne og hele Rådet skulde komme sammen, og han førte Paulus ned og stillede ham for dem.

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence {which I make} now unto you.

(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

I am verily a man {which am} a Jew, born in Tarsus, {a city} in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, {and} taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt {there},

Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

And they gave him audience unto this word, and {then} lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a {fellow} from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

And as they cried out, and cast off {their} clothes, and threw dust into the air,

The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

When the centurion heard {that}, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was {free} born.

Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. {examined him: or, tortured him}

On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from {his} bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.