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

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

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

And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and 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, 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 Y perseguí este Camino hasta la muerte, prendiendo y entregando en cárceles, tanto a hombres como a mujeres;

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

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

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 P ero aconteció que cuando iba de camino, al llegar cerca de Damasco, como a mediodía, de repente me rodeó una gran luz del cielo;

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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 Y como yo no veía a causa del resplandor de la luz, me llevaron de la mano los que estaban conmigo, y llegué a Damasco.

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

“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 ino hasta donde yo estaba, y acercándose, me dijo: Hermano Saulo, recobra la vista. Y yo en aquel mismo momento recobré la vista y lo miré.

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 Y él dijo: El Dios de nuestros padres te ha designado para que conozcas su voluntad, y veas al Justo, y oigas la voz de su 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 P orque le serás testigo ante todos los hombres, de lo que has visto y oído.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

24 m andó el tribuno que le metiesen en la fortaleza, y ordenó que lo sometieran a los azotes, para averiguar por qué causa clamaban así contra él.

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 P ero cuando le estiraron con correas, Pablo dijo al centurión que estaba presente: ¿Os es lícito azotar a un ciudadano romano sin haber 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 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 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 V ino el tribuno y le dijo: Dime, ¿eres tú ciudadano romano? Él dijo: Sí.

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

28 R espondió el tribuno: Yo con una gran suma adquirí esta ciudadanía. Entonces Pablo dijo: Pues yo la tengo de nacimiento.

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

29 A sí que, en seguida se apartaron de él los que le iban a someter a tormento; y aun el tribuno tuvo miedo también, al conocer que era ciudadano romano, y que le había tenido atado con cadenas. Pablo ante el sanedrín

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 A l día siguiente, queriendo averiguar de seguro la causa por la cual le acusaban los judíos, lo desató, y mandó venir a los principales sacerdotes y a todo el sanedrín, y sacando a Pablo, le presentó ante ellos.

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.