1 “ Irmãos e pais, ouçam agora a minha defesa”.

“ Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”

2 Q uando ouviram que lhes falava em aramaico, ficaram em absoluto silêncio. Então Paulo disse:

And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said,

3 “ Sou judeu, nascido em Tarso da Cilícia, mas criado nesta cidade. Fui instruído rigorosamente por Gamaliel na lei de nossos antepassados, sendo tão zeloso por Deus quanto qualquer de vocês hoje.

“ I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.

4 P ersegui os seguidores deste Caminho até a morte, prendendo tanto homens como mulheres e lançando-os na prisão,

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

5 c omo o podem testemunhar o sumo sacerdote e todo o Sinédrio; deles cheguei a obter cartas para seus irmãos em Damasco e fui até lá, a fim de trazer essas pessoas a Jerusalém como prisioneiras, para serem punidas.

as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.

6 “ Por volta do meio-dia, eu me aproximava de Damasco, quando de repente uma forte luz vinda do céu brilhou ao meu redor.

“ But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me,

7 C aí por terra e ouvi uma voz que me dizia: ‘Saulo, Saulo, por que você está me perseguindo?’

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

8 E ntão perguntei: Quem és tu, Senhor? E ele respondeu: ‘Eu sou Jesus, o Nazareno, a quem você persegue’.

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

9 O s que me acompanhavam viram a luz, mas não entenderam a voz daquele que falava comigo.

And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

10 “ Assim perguntei: Que devo fazer, Senhor? Disse o Senhor: ‘Levante-se, entre em Damasco, onde lhe será dito o que você deve fazer’.

And I said, ‘ What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’

11 O s que estavam comigo me levaram pela mão até Damasco, porque o resplendor da luz me deixara cego.

But 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 came into Damascus.

12 “ Um homem chamado Ananias, piedoso segundo a lei e muito respeitado por todos os judeus que ali viviam,

“A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

13 v eio ver-me e, pondo-se junto a mim, disse: ‘Irmão Saulo, recupere a visão’. Naquele mesmo instante pude vê-lo.

came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘ Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very time I looked up at him.

14 “ Então ele disse: ‘O Deus dos nossos antepassados o escolheu para conhecer a sua vontade, ver o Justo e ouvir as palavras de sua boca.

And he said, ‘ The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth.

15 V ocê será testemunha dele a todos os homens, daquilo que viu e ouviu.

For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16 E agora, que está esperando? Levante-se, seja batizado e lave os seus pecados, invocando o nome dele’.

Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’

17 “ Quando voltei a Jerusalém, estando eu a orar no templo, caí em êxtase e

“It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,

18 v i o Senhor que me dizia: ‘Depressa! Saia de Jerusalém imediatamente, pois não aceitarão seu testemunho a meu respeito’.

and I saw Him saying to me, ‘ Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’

19 “ Eu respondi: Senhor, estes homens sabem que eu ia de uma sinagoga a outra, a fim de prender e açoitar os que crêem em ti.

And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.

20 E quando foi derramado o sangue de tua testemunha Estêvão, eu estava lá, dando minha aprovação e cuidando das roupas dos que o matavam.

And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’

21 “ Então o Senhor me disse: ‘Vá, eu o enviarei para longe, aos gentios’”. Paulo, Cidadão Romano

And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

22 A multidão ouvia Paulo até que ele disse isso. Então todos levantaram a voz e gritaram: “Tira esse homem da face da terra! Ele não merece viver!”

They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “ Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”

23 E stando eles gritando, tirando suas capas e lançando poeira para o ar,

And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

24 o comandante ordenou que Paulo fosse levado à fortaleza e fosse açoitado e interrogado, para saber por que o povo gritava daquela forma contra ele.

the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way.

25 E nquanto o amarravam a fim de açoitá-lo, Paulo disse ao centurião que ali estava: “Vocês têm o direito de açoitar um cidadão romano sem que ele tenha sido condenado?”

But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?”

26 A o ouvir isso, o centurião foi prevenir o comandante: “Que vais fazer? Este homem é cidadão romano”.

When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.”

27 O comandante dirigiu-se a Paulo e perguntou: “Diga-me, você é cidadão romano?” Ele respondeu: “Sim, sou”.

The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.”

28 E ntão o comandante disse: “Eu precisei pagar um elevado preço por minha cidadania”. Respondeu Paulo: “Eu a tenho por direito de nascimento”.

The commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.”

29 O s que iam interrogá-lo retiraram-se imediatamente. O próprio comandante ficou alarmado, ao saber que havia prendido um cidadão romano. Paulo Diante do Sinédrio

Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains.

30 N o dia seguinte, visto que o comandante queria descobrir exatamente por que Paulo estava sendo acusado pelos judeus, libertou-o e ordenou que se reunissem os chefes dos sacerdotes e todo o Sinédrio. Então, trazendo Paulo, apresentou-o a eles.

But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them.