1 V arones hermanos y padres, oíd ahora mi defensa ante vosotros.

Paul said, “Brothers and fathers, listen to what I have to say to you.”

2 Y al oír que les hablaba en lengua hebrea, guardaron más silencio. Y él les dijo:

When they heard him speak to them in their own language, they stopped making noise. Then he said,

3 Y o de cierto soy judío, nacido en Tarso de Cilicia, pero criado en esta ciudad, instruido a los pies de Gamaliel, estrictamente conforme a la ley de nuestros padres, celoso de Dios, como hoy lo sois todos vosotros.

“I am a Jew. I was born in the city of Tarsus in the country of Cilicia. When I was a young man, I lived here in Jerusalem. I went to Gamaliel’s school and learned all about the Law of our early fathers. I worked hard for God as you all do today.

4 P erseguía yo este Camino hasta la muerte, prendiendo y entregando en cárceles a hombres y mujeres;

“I worked hard and killed men and women who believed as I believe today. I put them in chains and sent them to prison.

5 c omo el sumo sacerdote también me es testigo, y todos los ancianos, de quienes también recibí cartas para los hermanos, y fui a Damasco para traer presos a Jerusalén también a los que estuviesen allí, para que fuesen castigados. Pablo relata su conversión (Hch. 9. 1-19; 26. 12-18)

The head religious leader and the leaders of the people can tell you this is true. I got letters from them to take to our Jewish brothers in the city of Damascus. I was going there to put the Christians in chains and bring them to Jerusalem where they would be beaten. The Change in Paul’s Life on the Damascus Road

6 P ero aconteció que yendo yo, al llegar cerca de Damasco, como a mediodía, de repente me rodeó mucha luz del cielo;

“I was near Damascus. All at once, about noon, I saw a bright light from heaven shining around me.

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

I fell to the ground. A voice said to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you work so hard against Me?’

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

I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the One you are working against.’

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

Those who were with me saw the light. But they did not hear Him speaking to me.

10 Y dije: ¿Qué haré, Señor? Y el Señor me dijo: Levántate, y ve a Damasco, y allí se te dirá todo lo que está ordenado que hagas.

I asked, ‘Lord, what should I do?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up! Go to Damascus. You will be told what to do there.’

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

“I could not see because of the bright light. Those who were with me had to lead me by the hand until we came to Damascus.

12 E ntonces uno llamado Ananías, varón piadoso según la ley, que tenía buen testimonio de todos los judíos que allí moraban,

Ananias lived there. He obeyed the Law and was respected by all the Jews.

13 v ino a mí, y acercándose, me dijo: Hermano Saulo, recibe la vista. Y yo en aquella misma hora recobré la vista y lo miré.

He came and stood near me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ At once I was able to see him.

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

Then Ananias said, ‘The God of our fathers chose you to know what He wants done. He chose you to see Jesus Christ, the One Right with God, and to hear His voice.

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

You are to tell all men what you have seen and heard.

16 A hora, pues, ¿por qué te detienes? Levántate y bautízate, y lava tus pecados, invocando su nombre. Pablo es enviado a los gentiles

What are you waiting for? Get up! Be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on His name.’ Paul Is Called to Work with the People Who Are Not Jews

17 Y me aconteció, vuelto a Jerusalén, que orando en el templo me sobrevino un éxtasis.

“I came back to Jerusalem. When I was praying in the house of God, I had a dream.

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

I saw Him as He said to me, ‘Get out of Jerusalem! They will not listen to you when you tell them about Me!’

19 Y o dije: Señor, ellos saben que yo encarcelaba y azotaba en todas las sinagogas a los que creían en ti;

I said, ‘Lord, they know I took Christians out of every Jewish place of worship. I had them beaten and put in prison.

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

Also when Stephen was killed, I stood there and watched them throw stones at him. Those who threw the stones had me watch their coats.’

21 P ero me dijo: Ve, porque yo te enviaré lejos a los gentiles. Pablo en manos del tribuno

The Lord said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the people who are not Jews.’ ”

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

They listened to him until he said that. Then they all cried out with loud voices, “Kill him! Take such a man from the earth! He should not live!”

23 Y como ellos gritaban y arrojaban sus ropas y lanzaban polvo al aire,

They kept on calling out. Then they pulled off their coats and threw dust in the air. Paul Tells Who He Is

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

The captain told them to bring Paul into the soldiers’ building. He told his soldiers to find out from Paul, by beating him, why the people were crying out against him.

25 P ero cuando le ataron con correas, Pablo dijo al centurión que estaba presente: ¿Os es lícito azotar a un ciudadano romano sin haber sido condenado?

As they tied him up, Paul said to the soldier, “Does the law say that you can beat a Roman citizen when no one has said he is guilty?”

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

When the soldier heard this, he told it to the captain. He said, “Listen! What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 V ino el tribuno y le dijo: Dime, ¿eres tú ciudadano romano? El dijo: Sí.

The captain came and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” Paul said, “Yes!”

28 R espondió el tribuno: Yo con una gran suma adquirí esta ciudadanía. Entonces Pablo dijo: Pero yo lo soy de nacimiento.

The captain said, “I had to pay a lot of money to be a citizen.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”

29 A sí que, luego se apartaron de él los que le iban a dar tormento; y aun el tribuno, al saber que era ciudadano romano, también tuvo temor por haberle atado. Pablo ante el concilio

Those who were going to beat him left him at once. The captain was also afraid when he heard that Paul was a Roman citizen because he had him tied. Paul Stands in Front of the Religious Leaders’ Court

30 A l día siguiente, queriendo saber de cierto la causa por la cual le acusaban los judíos, le soltó de las cadenas, y mandó venir a los principales sacerdotes y a todo el concilio, y sacando a Pablo, le presentó ante ellos.

The next day they took off the chains that were holding Paul. The captain wanted to know why the Jews wanted to kill him. So the captain told the head religious leaders to gather for their court. They brought Paul and put him in front of them.