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

“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.”

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

And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:

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 indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.

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

I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons 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 also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to 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.

“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around 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 are you persecuting Me?’

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

So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

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

“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.

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.

So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are 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 for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

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

“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt 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 me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at 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.

Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.

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 to all men of what 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 are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

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

“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance

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

and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’

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

So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe 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 martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

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

Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ” Paul’s Roman Citizenship

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

And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!”

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

Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw 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 commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so 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?

And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, 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 and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”

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

Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” 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 commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen. ”

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.

Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. The Sanhedrin Divided

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.

The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.