1 V ARONES hermanos y padres, oid la razón que ahora os doy.

`Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defence now unto you;' --

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

and they having heard that in the Hebrew dialect he was speaking to them, gave the more silence, and he saith, --

3 Y o de cierto soy Judío, nacido en Tarso de Cilicia, mas criado en esta ciudad á los pies de Gamaliel, enseñado conforme á la verdad de la ley de la patria, celoso de Dios, como todos vosotros sois hoy.

`I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactitude of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all ye are to-day.

4 Q ue he perseguido este camino hasta la muerte, prendiendo y entregando en cárceles hombres y mujeres:

`And this way I persecuted unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women,

5 C omo también el príncipe de los sacerdotes me es testigo, y todos los ancianos; de los cuales también tomando letras á los hermanos, iba á Damasco para traer presos á Jerusalem aun á los que estuviesen allí, para que fuesen castigados.

as also the chief priest doth testify to me, and all the eldership; from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, to Damascus, I was going on, to bring also those there bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished,

6 M as aconteció que yendo yo, y llegando cerca de Damasco, como á medio día, de repente me rodeó mucha luz del cielo:

and it came to pass, in my going on and coming nigh to Damascus, about noon, suddenly out of the heaven there shone a great light round about me,

7 Y caí en el suelo, y oí una voz que me decía: Saulo, Saulo, ¿por qué me persigues?

I fell also to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?

8 Y o entonces respondí: ¿Quién eres, Señor? Y me dijo: Yo soy Jesús de Nazaret, á quién tú persigues.

`And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? and he said unto me, I am Jesus the Nazarene whom thou dost persecute --

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

and they who are with me the light did see, and became afraid, and the voice they heard not of him who is speaking to me --

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

and I said, What shall I do, Lord? and the Lord said unto me, Having risen, go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things that have been appointed for thee to do.

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

`And when I did not see from the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who are with me, I came to Damascus,

12 E ntonces un Ananías, varón pío conforme á la ley, que tenía buen testimonio de todos los Judíos que allí moraban,

and a certain one, Ananias, a pious man according to the law, being testified to by all the Jews dwelling,

13 V iniendo á mí, y acercándose, me dijo: Hermano Saulo, recibe la vista. Y yo en aquella hora le miré.

having come unto me and stood by, said to me, Saul, brother, look up; and I the same hour did look up to him;

14 Y él dijo: El Dios de nuestros padres te ha predestinado para que conocieses su voluntad, y vieses á aquel Justo, y oyeses la voz de su boca.

and he said, The God of our fathers did choose thee beforehand to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice out of his mouth,

15 P orque has de ser testigo suyo á todos los hombres, de lo que has visto y oído.

because thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard;

16 A hora pues, ¿por qué te detienes? Levántate, y bautízate, y lava tus pecados, invocando su nombre.

and now, why tarriest thou? having risen, baptize thyself, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

17 Y me aconteció, vuelto á Jerusalem, que orando en el templo, fuí arrebatado fuera de mí.

`And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance,

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

and I saw him saying to me, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me;

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

and I said, Lord, they -- they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing on thee;

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

and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was being poured forth, I also was standing by and assenting to his death, and keeping the garments of those putting him to death;

21 Y me dijo: Ve, porque yo te tengo que enviar lejos á los Gentiles.

and he said unto me, Go, because to nations far off I will send thee.'

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

And they were hearing him unto this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, `Away from the earth with such an one; for it is not fit for him to live.'

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

And they crying out and casting up their garments, and throwing dust into the air,

24 M andó el tribuno que le llevasen á la fortaleza, y ordenó que fuese examinado con azotes, para saber por qué causa clamaban así contra él.

the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, saying, `By scourges let him be examined;' that he might know for what cause they were crying so against him.

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

And as he was stretching him with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who was standing by, `A man, a Roman, uncondemned -- is it lawful to you to scourge;'

26 Y como el centurión oyó esto, fué y dió aviso al tribuno, diciendo ¿Qué vas á hacer? porque este hombre es Romano.

and the centurion having heard, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, `Take heed what thou art about to do, for this man is a Roman;'

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

and the chief captain having come near, said to him, `Tell me, art thou a Roman?' and he said, `Yes;'

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

and the chief captain answered, `I, with a great sum, did obtain this citizenship;' but Paul said, `But I have been even born.'

29 A sí 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.

Immediately, therefore, they departed from him who are about to examine him, and the chief captain also was afraid, having learned that he is a Roman, and because he had bound him,

30 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 á los príncipes de los sacerdotes, y á todo su concilio: y sacando á Pablo, le presentó delante de ellos.

and on the morrow, intending to know the certainty wherefore he is accused by the Jews, he did loose him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their sanhedrim to come, and having brought down Paul, he set before them.