1 ق الَ بُولُسُ: «أيُّها الإخوَةُ وَالآباءُ، استَمِعُوا إلَى دِفاعِي عَنْ نَفسِي أمامَكُمْ.»

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

2 ف َلَمّا سَمِعُوهُ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِاللُّغَةِ الأرامِيَّةِ صارُوا أكثَرَ هُدُوءاً. حينَئِذٍ قالَ بُولُسُ:

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

3 « أنا رَجُلٌ يَهُودِيٌّ. وُلِدتُ فِي مَدِينَةِ طَرسُوسَ الَّتِي فِي كِيلِيكِيَّةَ. لَكِنِّي نَشَأْتُ هُنا فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ. وَدَرَّبَنِي غَمالائِيلُ تَدرِيباً صارِماً حَسَبَ شَرِيعَةِ آبائِنا. كُنتُ جادّاً فِي خِدمَتِي للهِ، مِثلَكُمْ جَمِيعاً اليَومَ.

“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 ف َاضطَهَدتُ ‹الطَّرِيقَ› حَتَّى المَوتِ. وَقَبَضتُ عَلَى رِجالٍ وَنِساءٍ وَسَجَنتُهُمْ.

I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

5 و َيُمكِنُ أنْ يَشهَدَ عَلَى صِحَّةِ كَلامِي رَئيسُ الكَهَنَةِ وَجَمِيعُ أعضاءِ مَجلِسِ الشُّيُوخِ. فَقَدْ أخَذتُ مِنهُمْ رَسائِلَ إلَى أهلِنا فِي دِمَشقَ. وَذَهَبتُ لِأقبِضَ عَلَى المَسِيحِيِّيْنَ هُناكَ، وَأُحضِرُهُمْ إلَى القُدسِ مُقَيَّدِينَ لِكَي يَلقَوا عِقابَهُمْ. بُولُسُ يَتَحَدَّثُ عَنِ اهتِدائِه

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 « وَبَينَما كُنتُ مُسافِراً أقتَرِبُ مِنْ مَدِينَةِ دِمَشقَ عِندَ الظَّهِيرَةِ، وَمَضَ فَجأةً حَولِيَ نُورٌ عَظِيمٌ مِنَ السَّماءِ.

“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.

7 ف َسَقَطتُ أرْضاً. وَسَمِعتُ صَوتاً يَقُولُ لِي: ‹يا شاوُلُ، يا شاوُلُ، لِماذا تَضطَهِدُنِي؟›

And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’

8 « فَأجَبتُ: ‹مَنْ أنتَ يا سَيِّدُ؟› قالَ لِي: ‹أنا يَسُوعُ النّاصِرِيُّ الَّذِي أنتَ تَضطَهِدُهُ.›

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

9 أ مّا الَّذِينَ كانُوا مَعِي فَرَأَوْا النُّورَ، لَكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُميِّزوا الصَّوتَ الَّذِي كَلَّمَنِي.

“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 « فَقُلتُ: ‹ماذا أفعَلُ يا سَيِّدُ؟› فَقالَ لِي: ‹انهَضْ، وَادخُلْ دِمَشقَ. وَهُناكَ تَعرِفُ جَمِيعَ الأُمورِ الَّتي عَيَّنتُكَ لِعَمَلِها.›

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 « لَمْ أكُنْ أقدِرُ أنْ أرَى بِسَبَبِ سُطُوعِ النُّورِ، فَأمسَكَ بِي رُفَقائِي مِنْ يَدَيَّ وَأدخَلُونِي إلَى دِمَشقَ.

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 و َكانَ هُناكَ رَجُلٌ تَقِيٌّ اسْمُهُ حَنانِيّا يَحْفَظُ الشَّرِيعَةَ، وَيَمدَحُهُ كُلُّ اليَهُودِ السّاكِنِينَ هُناكَ.

“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,

13 ج اءَ هَذا إلَيَّ، وَوَقَفَ إلَى جانِبِي وَقالَ: ‹أيُّها الأخُ شاوُلُ، استَرجِعْ بَصَرَكَ!› فَاسْتَرجَعتُ بَصَرِي فِي تِلكَ اللَّحظَةِ.

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 « وَقالَ لِي: ‹لَقَدِ اختارَكَ إلَهُ آبائِنا لِكَيْ تَعرِفَ إرادَتَهُ، وَتَرَى البارَّ يَسوعَ وَتَسمَعُ صَوتَهُ.

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 ف َأنتَ سَتَكُونُ شاهِداً لَهُ أمامَ كُلِّ النّاسِ بِما رَأيتَ وَسَمِعتَ.

For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16 و َالآنَ، ماذا تَنتَظِرْ؟ انهَضْ وَتَعَمَّدْ، وَاغْسِلْ خَطاياكَ مؤمِناً بِاسْمِهِ.›

And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

17 « وَعِندَما عُدْتُ إلَى مَدينَةِ القُدسِ، وَقَعَ عَلَيَّ سُباتٌ بَينَما كُنتُ أُصَلِّي فِي الهَيكَلِ.

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

18 و َرَأيتُ يَسُوعَ يَقُولُ لِي: ‹عَجِّلْ بِالخُرُوجِ مِنَ مَدينَةِ القُدسِ عَلَى الفَورِ، لِأنَّهُمْ لَنْ يَقبَلُوا شَهادَتَكَ عَنِّي.›

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

19 « فَقُلتُ: ‹يا رَبُّ، يَعرِفُ هَؤُلاءِ النّاسُ أنِّي كُنتُ أذهَبُ إلَى المَجامِعِ لِأعتَقِلَ وَأضرِبَ الَّذِينَ يُؤمِنُونَ بِكَ.

So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.

20 و َعِندَما سُفِكَ دَمُ إستِفانُوسَ شاهِدِكَ، كُنتُ واقِفاً هُناكَ، وَمُوافِقاً عَلَى ذَلِكَ. وَكُنتُ أحرُسُ ثِيابَ الَّذِينَ كانُوا يَقتُلُونَهُ.›

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 ف َقالَ لِي: ‹اذْهَبْ! فَسَأُرسَلُكَ بَعِيداً إلَى غَيرِ اليَهُودِ.›»

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

22 و َظَلَّ اليَهُودُ يُصغُونَ إلَى بُولُسَ إلَى أنْ قالَ هَذا. حينَئِذٍ رَفَعُوا أصواتَهُمْ وَقالُوا: «خَلِّصُوا الأرْضَ مِنْ هَذا الرَّجُلِ! فَهُوَ لا يَستَحِقُّ الحَياةَ!»

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 و َراحُوا يَصرُخُونَ وَيُلقُونَ بِثِيابِهِمْ، وَيَنثُرُونَ التُّرابَ فِي الهَواءِ غَضَباً.

Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,

24 ف َأمَرَ الآمِرُ بِإدخالِ بُولُسَ إلَى الحِصنِ. وَأمَرَ بِأنْ يَتِمَّ استِجوابُهُ بِالجَلْدِ لِمَعرِفَةِ سَبَبِ صِياحِهِمْ عَلَيْهِ هَكَذا.

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 ل َكِنْ عِندَما هَيَّئُوهُ لِلجَلْدِ، قالَ بُولُسُ لِلضّابِطِ الواقِفِ هُناكَ: «هَلْ يُجِيزُ لَكُمُ القانُونُ أنْ تَجلِدُوا مُواطِناً رُومانِيّاً لَمْ تَثبُتْ عَلَيهِ تُهمَةٌ؟»

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 ف َلَمّا سَمِعَ الضّابِطُ هَذا، ذَهَبَ إلَى الآمِرِ وَقالَ: «انْتَبِهْ إلَى ما تَنوي أنْ تَفعَلَهُ بِهذا الرَّجُلِ، فَهُوَ مُواطِنٌ رُومانِيٌّ!»

When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”

27 ف َجاءَ الآمِرُ إلَى بُولُسَ وَقالَ لَهُ: «قُلْ لِي، هَلْ أنتُ مُواطِنٌ رُومانِيٌّ؟» قالَ بُولُسُ: «نَعَمْ.»

Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

28 ف َأجابَ الضّابِطُ: «لَقَدْ كَلَّفَنِي اكتِسابُ الجِنسِيَّةِ الرُّومانِيَّةِ مَبلَغاً كَبِيراً مِنَ المالِ.» فَقالَ بُولُسُ: «أمّا أنا فَقَدْ وُلِدتُ رُومانِيّاً.»

The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen. ”

29 و َعَلَى الفَورِ تَراجَعَ الَّذِينَ كانُوا يُوشِكُونَ أنْ يَستَجوِبُوهُ. وَخافَ الآمِرُ عِندَما أدرَكَ أنَّ بُولُسَ مُواطِنٌ رُومانِيٌّ، وَأنَّهُ قَيَّدَهُ. بُولُسُ يَتَحَدَّثُ إلَى زُعَماءِ اليَهُود

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 و َفِي اليَومِ التّالِي، قَرَّرَ الآمِرُ أنْ يَعرِفَ سَبَبَ شَكوَى اليَهُودِ عَلَى بُولُسَ. فَفَكَّ قُيودَ بُولُسَ وَأمَرَ بِأنْ يَجتَمِعَ كِبارُ الكَهَنَةِ وَكُلُّ أعضاءِ المَجلِسِ الأعلَى. ثُمَّ أنزَلَ بُولُسَ وَأحضَرَهُ وَأوقَفَهُ أمامَهُمْ.

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.