1 B rethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you.

¶ Varones hermanos y padres, oíd la razón que ahora os doy.

2 A nd hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says,

(Y como oyeron que les hablaba en lengua hebrea, guardaron más silencio.) Y dijo:

3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to exactness of the law of fathers, being zealous for God, as ye are all this day;

¶ Yo de cierto soy judío, nacido en Tarso de Cilicia, mas criado en esta ciudad a los pies de Gamaliel, enseñado conforme a la verdad de la ley de la patria, celoso de la Ley, como todos vosotros sois hoy.

4 w ho have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women;

Que he perseguido este camino hasta la muerte, prendiendo y entregando en cárceles hombres y mujeres;

5 a s also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood: from whom also, having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus to bring those also who were there, bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished.

como también el príncipe de los sacerdotes me es testigo, y todos los ancianos; de los cuales también tomando letras a los hermanos, iba a Damasco para traer presos a Jerusalén aun a los que estuvieran allí, para que fueran castigados.

6 A nd it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid-day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me.

Mas aconteció que yendo yo, y llegando cerca de Damasco, como a mediodía, de repente me rodeó mucha luz del cielo;

7 A nd I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

y caí al suelo, y oí una voz que me decía: Saulo, Saulo, ¿por qué me persigues?

8 A nd I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom thou persecutest.

Yo entonces respondí: ¿Quién eres, Señor? Y me dijo: Yo Soy Jesús de Nazaret, a quien tú persigues.

9 B ut they that were with me beheld the light,, but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me.

Y los que estaban conmigo vieron a la verdad la luz, y se espantaron; mas no oyeron la voz del que hablaba conmigo.

10 A nd I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee to do.

Y dije: ¿Qué haré, Señor? Y el Señor me dijo: Levántate, y ve a Damasco, y allí te será dicho todo lo que te está señalado hacer.

11 A nd as I could not see, through the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus.

Y como yo no veía a causa de la claridad de la luz, llevado de la mano por los que estaban conmigo, vine a Damasco.

12 A nd a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt,

Entonces un Ananías, varón pío conforme a la ley, que tenía tal testimonio de todos los judíos que allí moraban,

13 c oming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And I, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him.

viniendo a mí, y acercándose, me dijo: Hermano Saulo, recibe la vista. Y yo en aquella hora le miré.

14 A nd he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth;

Y él dijo: El Dios de nuestros padres te ha escogido para que conozcas su voluntad, y veas a aquel Justo, y oigas la voz de su boca.

15 f or thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

Porque has de ser testigo suyo a todos los hombres, de lo que has visto y oído.

16 A nd now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name.

Ahora pues, ¿por qué te detienes? Levántate, y bautízate, y lava tus pecados, invocando su Nombre.

17 A nd it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy,

Y me aconteció, vuelto a Jerusalén, que orando en el Templo, fui arrebatado fuera de mí.

18 a nd saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

Y le vi que me decía: Date prisa, y sal prestamente fuera de Jerusalén; porque no recibirán tu testimonio acerca de mí.

19 A nd I said, Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee;

Y yo dije: Señor, ellos saben que yo encerraba en cárcel, y hería por las sinagogas a los que creían en ti;

20 a nd when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting, and kept the clothes of them who killed him.

y cuando se derramaba la sangre de Esteban tu testigo, yo también estaba presente, y consentía a su muerte, y guardaba las ropas de los que le mataban.

21 A nd he said to me, Go, for I will send thee to the nations afar off.

Y me dijo: Ve, porque yo te tengo que enviar lejos a los gentiles.

22 A nd they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live.

¶ Y le oyeron hasta esta palabra; entonces alzaron la voz, diciendo: Quita de la tierra a un tal hombre, porque no conviene que viva.

23 A nd as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air,

Y dando ellos voces, y arrojando sus ropas y echando polvo al aire,

24 t he chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain for what cause they cried thus against him.

mandó el tribuno que le llevaran a la fortaleza, y ordenó que fuera examinado con azotes, para saber por qué causa clamaban así contra él.

25 B ut as they stretched him forward with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man a Roman and uncondemned?

Y como le ataron con correas, Pablo dijo al centurión que estaba presente: ¿Os es lícito azotar a un hombre romano sin ser condenado?

26 A nd the centurion, having heard it, went and reported it to the chiliarch, saying, What art thou going to do? for this man is a Roman.

Cuando el centurión oyó esto, fue y dio aviso al tribuno, diciendo: ¿Qué vas a hacer? Porque este hombre es romano.

27 A nd the chiliarch coming up said to him, Tell me, Art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes.

Y viniendo el tribuno, le dijo: Dime, ¿eres tú Romano? Y él dijo: Sí.

28 A nd the chiliarch answered, I, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was also born.

Y respondió el tribuno: Yo con grande suma alcancé esta ciudadanía. Entonces Pablo dijo: Pero yo lo soy de nacimiento.

29 I mmediately therefore those who were going to examine him left him, and the chiliarch also was afraid when he ascertained that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Así que, luego se apartaron de él los que le habían de atormentar; y aun el tribuno también tuvo temor, entendido que era romano, por haberle atado.

30 A nd on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them.

Y al día siguiente, queriendo saber de cierto la causa por qué era acusado de los judíos, le soltó de las prisiones, y mandó venir a los príncipes de los sacerdotes, y a todo su concilio; y sacando a Pablo, le presentó delante de ellos.