1 B rethren and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make in your presence.

Irmãos e pais, ouvi a minha defesa, que agora faço perante vós.

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

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

3 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.

Eu 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.

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

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

5 A s 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.

do 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.

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

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

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

Caí por terra e ouvi uma voz que me dizia: Saulo, Saulo, por que me persegues?

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

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

9 N ow 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].

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

10 A nd 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.

Então 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.

11 A nd 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.

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

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

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

13 C ame 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.

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

14 A nd 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;

Disse 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.

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

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

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

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

17 T hen when I had come back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple '> enclosure], I fell into a trance (an ecstasy);

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

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

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

19 A nd 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.

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

20 A nd 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.

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.

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

Disse-me ele: Vai, porque eu te enviarei para longe aos gentios.

22 U p 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!

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

23 A nd as they were shouting and tossing and waving their garments and throwing dust into the air,

Gritando eles e arrojando de si as capas e lançando pó para o ar,

24 T he 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.

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.

25 B ut 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 ?

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

26 W hen 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!

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

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

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

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

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

29 I nstantly 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.

Imediatamente, 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.

30 B ut 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.

No 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.