1 I rmãos e pais, ouvi a minha defesa, que agora faço perante vós.

Brethren and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make in your presence.

2 O ra, quando ouviram que lhes falava em língua hebraica, guardaram ainda maior silêncio. E ele prosseguiu.

And when they heard that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they were all the more quiet. And he continued,

3 E u sou judeu, nascido em Tarso da Cilícia, mas criado nesta cidade, instruído aos pés de Gamaliel, conforme a precisão da lei de nossos pais, sendo zeloso para com Deus, assim como o sois todos vós no dia de hoje.

I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but reared in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated according to the strictest care in the Law of our fathers, being ardent for God, as all of you are today.

4 E persegui este Caminho até a morte, algemando e metendo em prisões tanto a homens como a mulheres,

I harassed (troubled, molested, and persecuted) this Way to the death, putting in chains and committing to prison both men and women,

5 d o que também o sumo sacerdote me é testemunha, e assim todo o conselho dos anciãos; e, tendo recebido destes cartas para os irmãos, seguia para Damasco, com o fim de trazer algemados a Jerusalém aqueles que ali estivessem, para que fossem castigados.

As the high priest and whole council of elders (Sanhedrin) can testify; for from them indeed I received letters with which I was on my way to the brethren in Damascus in order to take also those who were there, and bring them in chains to Jerusalem that they might be punished.

6 A conteceu, porém, que, quando caminhava e ia chegando perto de Damasco, pelo meio-dia, de repente, do céu brilhou-me ao redor uma grande luz.

But as I was on my journey and approached Damascus, about noon a great blaze of light flashed suddenly from heaven and shone about me.

7 C aí por terra e ouvi uma voz que me dizia: Saulo, Saulo, por que me persegues?

And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me ?

8 E u respondi: Quem és tu, Senhor? Disse-me: Eu sou Jesus, o nazareno, a quem tu persegues.

And I replied, Who are You, Lord? And He said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, Whom you are persecuting.

9 E os que estavam comigo viram, em verdade, a luz, mas não entenderam a voz daquele que falava comigo.

Now the men who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear '> the sound of the uttered words of] the voice of the One Who was speaking to me '> understand it].

10 E ntão disse eu: Senhor que farei? E o Senhor me disse: Levanta-te, e vai a Damasco, onde se te dirá tudo o que te é ordenado fazer.

And I asked, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord answered me, Get up and go into Damascus, and there it will be told you all that it is destined and appointed for you to do.

11 C omo eu nada visse por causa do esplendor daquela luz, guiado pela mão dos que estavam comigo cheguei a Damasco.

And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and I arrived in Damascus.

12 u m certo Ananias, varão piedoso conforme a lei, que tinha bom testemunho de todos os judeus que ali moravam,

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, well spoken of by all the Jews who resided there,

13 v indo ter comigo, de pé ao meu lado, disse-me: Saulo, irmão, recobra a vista. Naquela mesma hora, recobrando a vista, eu o vi.

Came to see me, and standing by my side said to me, Brother Saul, look up and receive back your sight. And in that very instant I looking up saw him.

14 D isse ele: O Deus de nossos pais de antemão te designou para conhecer a sua vontade, ver o Justo, e ouvir a voz da sua boca.

And he said, The God of our forefathers has destined and appointed you to come progressively to know His will, and to see the Righteous One (Jesus Christ, the Messiah), and to hear a voice from His mouth and a message from His lips;

15 P orque hás de ser sua testemunha para com todos os homens do que tens visto e ouvido.

For you will be His witness unto all men of everything that you have seen and heard.

16 A gora por que te demoras? Levanta-te, batiza-te e lava os teus pecados, invocando o seu nome.

And now, why do you delay? Rise and be baptized, and by calling upon His name, wash away your sins.

17 A conteceu que, tendo eu voltado para Jerusalém, enquanto orava no templo, achei-me em êxtase,

Then when I had come back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple '> enclosure], I fell into a trance (an ecstasy);

18 e vi aquele que me dizia: Apressa-te e sai logo de Jerusalém; porque não receberão o teu testemunho acerca de mim.

And I saw Him as He said to me, Hurry, get quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive your testimony about Me.

19 D isse eu: Senhor, eles bem sabem que eu encarcerava e açoitava pelas sinagogas os que criam em ti,

And I said, Lord, they themselves well know that throughout all the synagogues I cast into prison and flogged those who believed on (adhered to and trusted in and relied on) You.

20 e quando se derramava o sangue de Estêvão, tua testemunha, eu também estava presente, consentindo na sua morte e guardando as capas dos que o matavam.

And when the blood of Your witness (martyr) Stephen was shed, I also was personally standing by and consenting and approving and guarding the garments of those who slew him.

21 D isse-me ele: Vai, porque eu te enviarei para longe aos gentios.

And the Lord said to me, Go, for I will send you far away unto the Gentiles (nations).

22 O ra, escutavam-no até esta palavra, mas então levantaram a voz, dizendo: Tira do mundo tal homem, porque não convém que viva.

Up to the moment that Paul made this last statement, the people listened to him; but now they raised their voices and shouted, Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is not fit to live!

23 G ritando eles e arrojando de si as capas e lançando pó para o ar,

And as they were shouting and tossing and waving their garments and throwing dust into the air,

24 o comandante mandou que levassem Paulo para dentro da fortaleza, ordenando que fosse interrogado debaixo de açoites, para saber por que causa assim clamavam contra ele.

The commandant ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks, and that he be examined by scourging in order that might learn why the people cried out thus against him.

25 Q uando o haviam atado com as correias, disse Paulo ao centurião que ali estava: É-vos lícito açoitar um cidadão romano, sem ser ele condenado?

But when they had stretched him out with the thongs (leather straps), Paul asked the centurion who was standing by, Is it legal for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned ?

26 O uvindo isto, foi o centurião ter com o comandante e o avisou, dizendo: Vê o que estás para fazer, pois este homem é romano.

When the centurion heard that, he went to the commandant and said to him, What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen!

27 V indo o comandante, perguntou-lhe: Dize-me: és tu romano? Respondeu ele: Sou.

So the commandant came and said to, Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? And he said, Yes!

28 T ornou o comandante: Eu por grande soma de dinheiro adquiri este direito de cidadão. Paulo disse: Mas eu o sou de nascimento.

The commandant replied, I purchased this citizenship for a big price. Paul said, But I was born!

29 I mediatamente, pois se apartaram dele aqueles que o iam interrogar; e até o comandante, tendo sabido que Paulo era romano, atemorizou-se porque o havia ligado.

Instantly those who were about to examine and flog him withdrew from him; and the commandant also was frightened, for he realized that was a Roman citizen and he had put him in chains.

30 N o dia seguinte, querendo saber ao certo a causa por que ele era acusado pelos judeus, soltou-o das prisões, e mandou que se reunissem os principais sacerdotes e todo o sinédrio; e, trazendo Paulo, apresentou-o diante deles.

But the next day, desiring to know the real cause for which the Jews accused him, he unbound him and ordered the chief priests and all the council (Sanhedrin) to assemble; and he brought Paul down and placed him before them.