1 Irmãos e pais, ouvi a minha defesa que agora vos faço.2 (Quando ouviram que ele lhes falava em hebraico, guardaram ainda maior silêncio. E continuou):3 Eu sou judeu, nasci em Tarso da Cilícia, mas criei-me nesta cidade, e instruí-me aos pés de Gamaliel conforme o rigor da Lei de nossos pais, sendo zeloso para com Deus, assim como todos vós o sois no dia de hoje;4 e persegui este Caminho até a morte, acorrentando e entregando à prisão, não só homens mas também mulheres,5 como são testemunhas o sumo sacerdote e todo o conselho dos anciãos, dos quais recebi cartas para os irmãos e segui para Damasco com o fim de trazer algemados a Jerusalém os que também ali se achassem, para que fossem punidos.6 Quando eu ia no caminho e me aproximava de Damasco, pelo meio-dia brilhou do céu repentinamente em volta de mim uma grande luz,7 e caí por terra e ouvi uma voz que me dizia: Saulo, Saulo, por que me persegues?8 Eu perguntei: Quem és tu, Senhor? Respondeu-me ele: Eu sou Jesus o Nazareno, a quem tu persegues.9 Os que estavam comigo, viram, na verdade, a luz, mas não ouviram as palavras de quem falava comigo.10 Eu perguntei: Que farei, Senhor? O Senhor respondeu-me: Levanta-te e vai a Damasco, e ali se te dirá tudo o que te é ordenado fazer.11 Como eu não pudesse ver por causa da intensidade daquela luz, guiado pela mão daqueles que me acompanhavam, cheguei a Damasco.12 Um homem chamado Ananias, temente a Deus segundo a Lei, e que tinha bom testemunho de todos os judeus que ali habitavam,13 vindo ter comigo e pondo-se ao meu lado, disse-me: Saulo irmão, recebe a vista. Nessa mesma hora, recebendo a vista, olhei para ele.14 Ele disse: O Deus de nossos pais te designou de antemão para conhecer a sua vontade, ver o Justo e ouvir uma voz da sua boca,15 por que hás de ser sua testemunha para com todos os homens das coisas que tens visto e ouvido.16 Agora, por que te demoras? levanta-te, recebe o batismo e lava os teus pecados, invocando o seu nome.17 Tendo eu voltado para Jerusalém, enquanto estava orando no templo, veio-me um êxtase,18 e vi aquele que me dizia: Apressa-te e sai logo de Jerusalém, porque não receberão o teu testemunho a meu respeito.19 Eu disse: Senhor, eles sabem que eu encarcerava e açoitava pelas sinagogas os que criam em ti;20 quando se derramou o sangue de Estêvão, tua testemunha, eu também estava presente, consentia nisso e guardei as capas daqueles que o matavam.21 Disse-me ele: Vai, porque eu te enviarei para longe aos gentios.22 Escutaram-no até esta palavra, e levantaram a voz e disseram: Tira do mundo semelhante homem; pois não convém que ele viva.23 Clamando eles e arrojando de si as capas e lançando pó para o ar,24 o tribuno mandou recolher a Paulo à cidadela, ordenando que fosse interrogado debaixo de açoites, para se saber por que motivo clamavam assim contra ele.25 Depois de estendido para receber os açoites, perguntou Paulo ao centurião que estava presente: É permitido açoitardes um romano, e que não foi condenado?26 O centurião, tendo ouvido isto, foi ter com o tribuno e disse-lhe: Que vais fazer? pois este homem é romano.27 Vindo o tribuno, perguntou a Paulo: Dize-me, és tu romano? Respondeu ele: Sou.28 O tribuno disse: Eu adquiri este direito de cidadão por grande soma de dinheiro. Paulo declarou então: Pois eu o sou de nascimento.29 Aqueles, pois, que o iam interrogar, apartaram-se logo dele; o tribuno também ficou receioso, quando soube que Paulo era romano, e porque o mandara acorrentar.30 No dia seguinte, querendo saber com certeza a causa por que ele era acusado pelos judeus, soltou-o e ordenou que se reunissem os principais sacerdotes e todo o sinédrio e, mandando trazer Paulo, apresentou-o diante deles.
1 »Men, brothers and fathers, hear my defense to you now.«2 They heard him speak in the Hebrew tongue and became quiet.3 »I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in Jerusalem as a student of Gamaliel. I received instruction in the Law of our ancestors and was just as zealous for God as are all of you.4 »I persecuted the people who followed this Way to the point of death. I arrested men and women and threw them into prison.5 »The High Priest and the whole Council can prove that I am telling the truth. I received letters from them written to fellow Jews in Damascus, so I went there to arrest these people and bring them back in chains to Jerusalem to be punished.6 »While I was traveling I came near Damascus about midday. Suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed around me.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, whom you persecute,« he said to me.9 »Everyone with me saw the light. They did not hear the voice of the one speaking to me.10 »I asked: What shall I do, Lord? He said: Go to Damascus. There you will be told what God wants you to do.11 »I was blind because of the bright light. So my companions took me by the hand and led me to Damascus.12 »A man named Ananias was in that city. He is a religious man who obeyed our Law and was highly respected by all the Jews living there.13 »He came and stood by me, and said: Brother Saul, see again! At that very moment I saw again and looked at him.14 »He said: The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will. You are to see his righteous servant, and to hear him speak with his own voice.15 You will be a witness for him to tell everyone what you have seen and heard.16 Wait no longer! Get up and be baptized and have your sins washed away by praying to him.17 »I went back to Jerusalem. Then I have a vision while I prayed in the temple.18 »I saw the Lord. He said to me: Hurry and leave Jerusalem because the people here will not accept your witness about me.19 »I answered, Lord they know very well that I went to the synagogues and arrested and beat those who believe in you.20 »When your witness Stephen was put to death, I was there, approving of his murder and taking care of the coats of his murderers.«21 »The Lord said: Go! I will send you far away to the people of the nations.22 The people listened to Paul until he said this. Then they shouted at the top of their voices: »Away with him! Kill him! He is not fit to live!«23 They were screaming, throwing off their clothes, and throwing dust up in the air.24 The Roman commander ordered his men to take Paul into the barracks. He told them to whip him in order to find out why the Jews were screaming like this against him.25 When they tied him up to be whipped Paul said to the officer standing there, »Is it lawful for you to whip a Roman citizen who has not been tried for a crime?«26 When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked him: »What are you doing? That man is a Roman citizen!«27 The commander went to Paul and asked him: »Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?« »Yes,« answered Paul.28 The commander said: »I became one by paying a large amount of money.« »I am one by birth,« Paul answered.29 At once the men who were going to question Paul drew back from him. The commander was frightened when he found out that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had put him in chains.30 The commander wanted to find out for sure what the Jews were accusing Paul of. The next day he had Pauls chains taken off and ordered the chief priests and the whole Council to meet. Then he took Paul and made him stand before them.