Hechos de los Apóstoles 22

1“Hermanos y padres, escuchad la defensa que ahora hago delante de vosotros”.

2Oyendo que les hablaba en idioma hebreo, guardaron mayor silencio; y él prosiguió:

3“Yo soy judío, nacido en Tarso de Cilicia, pero educado en esta ciudad, a los pies de Gamaliel, instruido conforme al rigor de la Ley de nuestros padres, celoso de Dios como vosotros todos lo sois el día de hoy.

4Perseguía yo de muerte esta doctrina, encadenando y metiendo en las cárceles lo mismo hombres que mujeres,

5como también el Sumo Sacerdote me da testimonio y todos los ancianos; de los cuales asimismo recibí cartas para los hermanos, y me encaminé a Damasco a fin de traer presos a Jerusalén a los que allí hubiese, para castigarlos.

6Y sucedió que yendo yo de camino y acercándome a Damasco hacia el mediodía, de repente una gran luz del cielo me envolvió.

7Caí en tierra, y oí una voz que me decía: “Saulo, Saulo, ¿por qué me persigues?”

8Yo respondí: “¿Quién eres, Señor?” Y me dijo: “Yo soy Jesús el Nazareno a quien tú persigues”.

9Los que me acompañaban vieron, sí, la luz, mas no oyeron la voz del que hablaba conmigo.

10Yo dije: “¿Qué haré, Señor?” Y el Señor me respondió; “Levántate y ve a Damasco; allí se te dirá todo lo que te está ordenado hacer”,

11Mas como yo no podía ver, a causa del esplendor de aquella luz, me condujeron de la mano los que estaban conmigo, y así vine a Damasco.

12Y un cierto Ananías, varón piadoso según la Ley, de quien daban testimonio todos los judíos que allí habitaban,

13me visitó, y poniéndose delante de mí me dijo: “Hermano Saulo, mira”; y yo en aquel mismo momento, le miré.

14Dijo entonces: “El Dios de nuestros padres te ha predestinado para que conozcas su voluntad y veas al Justo, y oigas la voz de su boca.

15Porque le serás testigo ante todos los hombres, de lo que has visto y oído.

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

17Y acaeció que yo, hallándome de vuelta en Jerusalén y orando en el Templo tuve un éxtasis;

18y le vi a Él que me decía: “Date prisa y sal pronto de Jerusalén, porque no recibirán tu testimonio acerca de Mí”.

19Yo contesté: “Señor, ellos mismos saben que yo era quien encarcelaba y azotaba de sinagoga en sinagoga a los que creían en Ti;

20y cuando fue derramada la sangre de tu testigo Esteban, también yo estaba presente, consintiendo y guardando los vestidos de los que le dieron muerte”.

21Pero Él me dijo: “Anda, que Yo te enviaré a naciones lejanas”.

22Hasta esta palabra le escucharon, pero luego levantaron la voz y gritaban: “Quita de la tierra a semejante hombre; no debe vivir”.

23Y como ellos gritasen y arrojasen sus mantos y lanzasen polvo al aire,

24mandó el tribuno introducirlo en la fortaleza, diciendo que le atormentasen con azotes, para averiguar por qué causa gritaban así contra él.

25Mas cuando ya le tuvieron estirado con las correas, dijo Pablo al centurión que estaba presente: “¿Os es lícito azotar a un ciudadano romano sin haberle juzgado?”

26Al oír esto el centurión fue al tribuno y se lo comunicó, diciendo: “¿Qué vas a hacer? Porque este hombre es romano”.

27Llegó entonces el tribuno y le preguntó: “Dime, ¿eres tú romano?” Y él contesto: “Sí”.

28Replicó el tribuno: “Yo por gran suma adquirí esta ciudadanía”. “Y yo, dijo Pablo, la tengo de nacimiento”.

29Con esto inmediatamente se apartaron de él los que le iban a dar tormento; y el mismo tribuno tuvo temor cuando supo que era romano y que él lo había encadenado.

30Al día siguiente, deseando saber con seguridad de qué causa era acusado por los judíos, le soltó e hizo reunir a los sumos sacerdotes y todo el sinedrio; y trayendo a Pablo lo puso delante de ellos.

1Viri fratres, et patres, audite quam ad vos nunc reddo rationem.

2Cum audissent autem quia hebræa lingua loqueretur ad illos, magis præstiterunt silentium.

3Et dicit: Ego sum vir Judæus, natus in Tarso Ciliciæ, nutritus autem in ista civitate, secus pedes Gamaliel eruditus juxta veritatem paternæ legis, æmulator legis, sicut et vos omnes estis hodie:

4qui hanc viam persecutus sum usque ad mortem, alligans et tradens in custodias viros ac mulieres,

5sicut princeps sacerdotum mihi testimonium reddit, et omnes majores natu: a quibus et epistolas accipiens, ad fratres Damascum pergebam, ut adducerem inde vinctos in Jerusalem ut punirentur.

6Factum est autem, eunte me, et appropinquante Damasco media die, subito de cælo circumfulsit me lux copiosa:

7et decidens in terram, audivi vocem dicentem mihi: Saule, Saule, quid me persequeris?

8Ego autem respondi: Quis es, domine? Dixitque ad me: Ego sum Jesus Nazarenus, quem tu persequeris.

9Et qui mecum erant, lumen quidem viderunt, vocem autem non audierunt ejus qui loquebatur mecum.

10Et dixi: Quid faciam, domine? Dominus autem dixit ad me: Surgens vade Damascum: et ibi tibi dicetur de omnibus quæ te oporteat facere.

11Et cum non viderem præ claritate luminis illius, ad manum deductus a comitibus, veni Damascum.

12Ananias autem quidam vir secundum legem, testimonium habens ab omnibus cohabitantibus Judæis,

13veniens ad me et astans, dixit mihi: Saule frater, respice. Et ego eadem hora respexi in eum.

14At ille dixit: Deus patrum nostrorum præordinavit te, ut cognosceres voluntatem ejus, et videres justum, et audires vocem ex ore ejus:

15quia eris testis illius ad omnes homines eorum quæ vidisti et audisti.

16Et nunc quid moraris? Exsurge, et baptizare, et ablue peccata tua, invocato nomine ipsius.

17Factum est autem revertenti mihi in Jerusalem, et oranti in templo, fieri me in stupore mentis,

18et videre illum dicentem mihi: Festina, et exi velociter ex Jerusalem: quoniam non recipient testimonium tuum de me.

19Et ego dixi: Domine, ipsi sciunt quia ego eram concludens in carcerem, et cædens per synagogas eos qui credebant in te:

20et cum funderetur sanguis Stephani testis tui, ego astabam, et consentiebam, et custodiebam vestimenta interficientium illum.

21Et dixit ad me: Vade, quoniam ego in nationes longe mittam te.

22Audiebant autem eum usque ad hoc verbum, et levaverunt vocem suam, dicentes: Tolle de terra hujusmodi: non enim fas est eum vivere.

23Vociferantibus autem eis, et projicientibus vestimenta sua, et pulverem jactantibus in aërem,

24jussit tribunus induci eum in castra, et flagellis cædi, et torqueri eum, ut sciret propter quam causam sic acclamarent ei.

25Et cum astrinxissent eum loris, dicit astanti sibi centurioni Paulus: Si hominem Romanum et indemnatum licet vobis flagellare?

26Quo audito, centurio accessit ad tribunum, et nuntiavit ei, dicens: Quid acturus es? hic enim homo civis Romanus est.

27Accedens autem tribunus, dixit illi: Dic mihi si tu Romanus es? At ille dixit: Etiam.

28Et respondit tribunus: Ego multa summa civilitatem hanc consecutus sum. Et Paulus ait: Ego autem et natus sum.

29Protinus ergo discesserunt ab illo qui eum torturi erant. Tribunus quoque timuit postquam rescivit, quia civis Romanus esset, et quia alligasset eum.

30Postera autem die volens scire diligentius qua ex causa accusaretur a Judæis, solvit eum, et jussit sacerdotes convenire, et omne concilium: et producens Paulum, statuit inter illos.

1Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye the account which I now give unto you.

2(And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence.)

3And he saith: I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, as also all you are this day:

4Who persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5As the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the ancients: from whom also receiving letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus, that I might bring them bound from thence to Jerusalem to be punished.

6And it came to pass, as I was going, and drawing nigh to Damascus at midday, that suddenly from heaven there shone round about me a great light:

7And falling on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

8And I answered: Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

9And they that were with me, saw indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spoke with me.

10And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise, and go to Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things that thou must do.

11And whereas I did not see for the brightness of that light, being led by the hand by my companions, I came to Damascus.

12And one Ananias, a man according to the law, having testimony of all the Jews who dwelt there,

13Coming to me, and standing by me, said to me: Brother Saul, look up. And I the same hour looked upon him.

14But he said: The God of our fathers hath preordained thee that thou shouldst know his will, and see the Just One, and shouldst hear the voice from his mouth.

15For thou shalt be his witness to all men, of those things which thou hast seen and heard.

16And now why tarriest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, invoking his name.

17And it came to pass, when I was come again to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance,

18And saw him saying unto me: Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

19And I said: Lord, they know that I cast into prison, and beat in every synagogue, them that believed in thee.

20And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I stood by and consented, and kept the garments of them that killed him.

21And he said to me: Go, for unto the Gentiles afar off, will I send thee.

22And they heard him until this word, and then lifted up their voice, saying: Away with such an one from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.

23And as they cried out and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,

24The tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and that he should be scourged and tortured: to know for what cause they did so cry out against him.

25And when they had bound him with thongs, Paul saith to the centurion that stood by him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

26Which the centurion hearing, went to the tribune, and told him, saying: What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.

27And the tribune coming, said to him: Tell me, art thou a Roman? But he said: Yea.

28And the tribune answered: I obtained the being free of this city with a great sum. And Paul said: But I was born so.

29Immediately therefore they departed from him that were about to torture him. The tribune also was afraid after he understood that he was a Roman citizen, and because he had bound him.

30But on the next day, meaning to know more diligently for what cause he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the priests to come together, and all the council: and bringing forth Paul, he set him before them.