1 "Irmãos e pais, ouçam agora a minha defesa".2 Quando ouviram que lhes falava em aramaico, ficaram em absoluto silêncio. Então Paulo disse:3 "Sou judeu, nascido em Tarso da Cilícia, mas criado nesta cidade. Fui instruído rigorosamente por Gamaliel na lei de nossos antepassados, sendo tão zeloso por Deus quanto qualquer de vocês hoje.4 Persegui os seguidores deste Caminho até a morte, prendendo tanto homens como mulheres e lançando-os na prisão,5 como o podem testemunhar o sumo sacerdote e todo o Conselho, de quem cheguei a obter cartas para seus irmãos em Damasco e fui até lá, a fim de trazer essas pessoas a Jerusalém como prisioneiras, para serem punidas.6 "Por volta do meio-dia, eu me aproximava de Damasco, quando de repente uma forte luz vinda do céu brilhou ao meu redor.7 Caí por terra e ouvi uma voz que me dizia: ‘Saulo, Saulo! por que você está me perseguindo? ’8 Então perguntei: Quem és tu, Senhor? E ele respondeu: ‘Eu sou Jesus, o Nazareno, a quem você persegue’.9 Os que me acompanhavam viram a luz, mas não entenderam a voz daquele que falava comigo.10 "Assim perguntei: Que devo fazer, Senhor? Disse o Senhor: ‘Levante-se, entre em Damasco, onde lhe será dito o que você deve fazer’.11 Os que estavam comigo me levaram pela mão até Damasco, porque o resplendor da luz me deixara cego.12 "Um homem chamado Ananias, piedoso segundo a lei e muito respeitado por todos os judeus que ali viviam,13 veio ver-me e, pondo-se junto a mim, disse: ‘Irmão Saulo, recupere a visão’. Naquele mesmo instante pude vê-lo.14 "Então ele disse: ‘O Deus dos nossos antepassados o escolheu para conhecer a sua vontade, ver o Justo e ouvir as palavras de sua boca.15 Você será testemunha dele a todos os homens, daquilo que viu e ouviu.16 E agora, que está esperando? Levante-se, seja batizado e lave os seus pecados, invocando o nome dele’.17 "Quando voltei a Jerusalém, estando eu a orar no templo, caí em êxtase e18 vi o Senhor que me dizia: ‘Depressa! Saia de Jerusalém imediatamente, pois não aceitarão seu testemunho a meu respeito’.19 "Eu respondi: Senhor, estes homens sabem que eu ia de uma sinagoga a outra, a fim de prender e açoitar os que crêem em ti.20 E quando foi derramado o sangue de tua testemunha Estêvão, eu estava lá, dando minha aprovação e cuidando das roupas dos que o matavam.21 "Então o Senhor me disse: ‘Vá, eu o enviarei para longe, aos gentios’ ".22 A multidão ouvia Paulo até que ele disse isso. Então todos levantaram a voz e gritaram: "Tira esse homem da face da terra! Ele não merece viver! "23 Estando eles gritando, tirando suas capas e lançando poeira para o ar,24 o comandante ordenou que Paulo fosse levado à fortaleza e fosse açoitado e interrogado, para saber por que o povo gritava daquela forma contra ele.25 Enquanto o amarravam a fim de açoitá-lo, Paulo disse ao centurião que ali estava: "Vocês têm o direito de açoitar um cidadão romano sem que ele tenha sido condenado? "26 Ao ouvir isso, o centurião foi prevenir o comandante: "Que vais fazer? Este homem é cidadão romano".27 O comandante dirigiu-se a Paulo e perguntou: "Diga-me, você é cidadão romano? " Ele respondeu: "Sim, sou".28 Então o comandante disse: "Eu precisei pagar um elevado preço por minha cidadania". Respondeu Paulo: "Eu a tenho por direito de nascimento".29 Os que iam interrogá-lo retiraram-se imediatamente. O próprio comandante ficou alarmado, ao saber que havia prendido um cidadão romano.30 No dia seguinte, visto que o comandante queria descobrir exatamente por que Paulo estava sendo acusado pelos judeus, libertou-o e ordenou que se reunissem os chefes dos sacerdotes e todo o Sinédrio. Então, trazendo Paulo, apresentou-o a eles.

1 Men, brothers, and fathers, hear now my defense to you.2 And having heard that he called out to them in the Hebrew language, they offered more silence. And he says,3 I am indeed a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but reared in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, reared accurately in the paternal law, being a zealot of God, as ye all are today.4 And I persecuted this Way as far as death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.5 As also the high priest testifies about me, and all the senior council, from whom also having received letters to the brothers in Damascus, I was going to bring bound even those who were there to Jerusalem so that they might be pun6 And there happened to me, while going and approaching Damascus about noon, suddenly to flash forth from heaven a great light around me.7 And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do thou persecute me?8 And I answered, Who are thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou persecute.9 And those who were with me indeed saw the light and became afraid, but they heard not the voice of him who spoke to me.10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, After rising, go into Damascus, and there it will be told thee about all things that have been assigned for thee to do.11 And as I was not seeing from the splendor of that light, I came into Damascus, being led by hand by those who accompanied me.12 And a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report by all the Jews who dwell there,13 having come near me, and having stood by, he said to me, Brother Saul, look up. And I looked up on him the same hour.14 And he said, The God of our fathers appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous man, and to hear a voice from his mouth,15 because thou will be a witness for him to all men of the things that thou have seen and heard.16 And now what is it going to be? Having arisen, immerse and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.17 And it came to pass, my having returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, for me to became in a trance.18 And I saw him saying to me, Hurry and depart in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept thy testimony about me.19 And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those who believe in thee.20 And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I myself also was standing by, and approving his killing, and keeping the garments of those who killed him.21 And he said to me, Depart, because I will send thee far away to Gentiles.22 And they heard him until this word. And they lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a man from the earth, for he is not fit to live.23 And of them crying out, and throwing off their garments, and casting dust into the air,24 the chief captain commanded him be brought into the fort, having said to examine him by scourging, so that he might know for what reason they shouted against him this way.25 And as they stretched him out with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it permitted for you to scourge a Roman man, and uncondemned?26 And when the centurion heard, having come to the chief captain, he reported, saying, Look! What are thou about to do? For this man is a Roman.27 And the chief captain having come, he said to him, Tell me if thou are a Roman. And he said, Yes.28 And the chief captain answered, Of a great sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But then I was born so.29 Straightway therefore those who were about to examine him withdrew from him. And the chief captain was also afraid when he learned that he was a Roman, and because he was who bound him.30 But on the morrow, wanting to know the certainty of why he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to come. And having brought Paul down, he set him before them.