1 Irmãos e pais, escutem-me no que vou dizer-vos em minha defesa.2 Quando o ouviram falar em aramaico, o silêncio tornou-se ainda maior.3 Sou judeu, nascido em Tarso, cidade da Cilícia, mas educado aqui em Jerusalém sob o ensino de Gamaliel, a cujos pés aprendi a seguir com muito cuidado as nossas leis e costumes. O meu anseio era honrar Deus em tudo o que fazia, tal como vocês procuram fazer hoje.4 Assim, persegui os seguidores do Caminho até à morte, prendendo e entregando à prisão tanto homens como mulheres. O supremo sacerdote pode confirmá-lo, ou até qualquer membro do conselho, pois pedi-lhes que passassem cartas para os dirigentes judaicos em Damasco com instruções para me deixarem trazer acorrentado para Jerusalém qualquer cristão que encontrasse, para ser castigado.6 Ia eu pela estrada fora, já perto de Damasco, quando, subitamente, cerca do meio-dia, brilhou em torno de mim uma luz muito forte vinda do céu. Caí por terra e ouvi uma voz que me dizia: 'Saulo, Saulo, porque me persegues?'8 'Quem és tu, Senhor?9 Os homens que estavam comigo viram a luz mas não compreenderam as palavras.10 E eu disse: 'Que devo eu fazer, Senhor?'E o Senhor disse-me: 'Levanta-te, entra em Damasco e aí será dito o que deves fazer.'11 A luz era tão forte que deixei de ver e tive de ser conduzido para Damasco pelos meus companheiros. Aí, Ananias, homem obediente a Deus, que observava escrupulosamente a lei e que gozava da consideração de todos os judeus de Damasco, veio ver-me e, chegando-se junto de mim, disse: 'Irmão Paulo, recupera a vista!' E naquele momento consegui vê-lo.14 Então disse-me: 'O Deus de nossos pais escolheu-te para conheceres a sua vontade, veres o Justo e ouvi-lo falar.15 Deverás levar a sua mensagem a toda a parte, contando o que viste e ouviste.16 Agora, não te demores. Levanta-te e vai baptizar-te, e lava os teus pecados, invocando o nome do Senhor.'17 Um dia depois do meu regresso a Jerusalém, quando orava no templo, tive uma visão em que Jesus me disse: 'Apressa-te, sai de Jerusalém, pois não te acreditarão quando tu lhes falares acerca de mim.'19 'Senhor20 E quando a tua testemunha, Estêvão, foi morta, lá estava eu manifestando a minha aprovação ao tomar conta da roupa dos que o apedrejavam.'21 Mas o Senhor disse-me: 'Sai de Jerusalém, pois vou mandar-te para longe, para os gentios!'22 A multidão escutou Paulo até ele dizer aquela palavra; mas, ao ouvi-la, todos gritaram a uma só voz: Fora com esse homem! Matem-no! Não é digno de viver!, clamando e lançando ao ar as túnicas, de mistura com terra .24 Então o comandante levou-o para dentro e ordenou que fosse açoitado para que confessasse o crime, pois pretendia descobrir por que motivo a multidão se enfurecera daquela maneira. Quando estavam a amarrar Paulo para o açoitar, este disse a um oficial que se encontrava perto: Será legal chicotear um cidadão romano que nem sequer foi julgado?26 O oficial falou com o comandante e avisou-o: Veja lá o que vai fazer! Trata-se de um cidadão romano!27 O comandante foi ter com Paulo e perguntou-lhe: Diz-me, és cidadão romano? Sou, sim, respondeu Paulo.28 Também eu, murmurou o comandante, e esse direito custou-me muito dinheiro!Mas eu sou cidadão romano por nascimento!29 Os soldados que se preparavam para interrogar Paulo foram-se logo embora quando souberam que era um cidadão romano, e o próprio comandante ficou assustado por ter mandado que o amarassem e açoitassem.30 No dia seguinte, tirou-lhe as cadeias, mandou convocar os principais dos sacerdotes para uma sessão com o conselho judaico, e trouxe Paulo para, na presença deles, descobrir a causa daqueles tumultos.

1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense which I make now to you.2 (And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)3 I am verily a man who 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, being zealous towards God, as ye all are this day.4 And I persecuted this way even to death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.5 As also the high priest doth bear me testimony, and all the estate of the elders; from whom also I received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them who were there bound to Jerusalem, to be punished.6 And it came to pass, that as I was passing on my journey, and had come nigh to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light around me.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 of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spoke to me.10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which are appointed for thee to do.11 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.12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews who dwelt there,13 Came to me, and stood, and said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth.15 For thou shalt be his witness to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.17 And it came to pass, that when I had come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;18 And saw him saying to me, Make haste, and depart quickly from Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.21 And he said to me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence to the Gentiles.22 And they gave him audience to this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a man from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know for what cause they cried so against him.25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest; for this man is a Roman.27 Then the chief captain came, and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yes.28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.29 Then forthwith they departed from him who were about to examine him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty why he was accused by 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.