Atos 22
1 Homens irmãos, e pais, ouvi agora minha defesa para convosco.
‘Brothers and fathers, listen to the defence which I am about to make.’
2 E tendo ouvido que ele lhes falava em língua hebraica, fizeram ainda mais silêncio. E ele disse:
When they heard that he was speaking to them in Hebrew, they were still more quiet; and Paul went on:
3 Eu verdadeiramente sou um homem judeu, nascido em Tarso da Cilícia, e criado nesta cidade aos pés de Gamaliel, ensinado ao mais correto modo da Lei paterna [e] zeloso de Deus, assim como todos vós sois hoje.
‘I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, but I was brought up in this city under the teaching of Gamaliel, and educated in accordance with the strict system of our ancestral Law. I was as zealous in God’s service as any of you who are here today.
4 [Eu], que persegui este caminho até a morte, atando tanto a homens como a mulheres, e [os] entregando a prisões.
In my persecution of this Way I did not stop even at the taking of life. I put in chains, and imprisoned, men and women alike –
5 Assim como também o sumo sacerdote me é testemunha, e todo o conselho dos anciãos; dos quais eu, tendo tomado cartas para os irmãos, fui a Damasco para que os que estivessem ali, eu também os trouxesse amarrados a Jerusalém, para que fossem castigados.
And to that the high priest himself and all the council of elders can testify. For I had letters of introduction from them to our fellow Jews at Damascus, and I was on my way to that place, to bring those whom I might find there prisoners to Jerusalem for punishment.
6 Mas aconteceu que, estando eu no caminho, e chegando perto de Damasco, quase ao meio dia, de repente uma grande luz do céu brilhou ao redor de mim.
While I was still on my way, just as I was getting close to Damascus, about midday, suddenly there flashed from the heavens a great light all round me.
7 Eu cai ao chão, e ouvi uma voz, que me dizia: Saulo, Saulo, por que me persegues?
I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
8 E eu respondi: Quem és, Senhor? E ele me disse: Eu sou Jesus, o nazareno, a quem tu persegues.
“Who are you, Lord?” I replied. Then the voice said “I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.”
9 E os que estavam comigo verdadeiramente viram a luz, e ficaram muito atemorizados; mas eles não ouviram a voz daquele que falava comigo.
The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the speaker’s voice.
10 E eu disse: Que farei, Senhor? E o Senhor me disse: Levanta-te, e vai a Damasco, e ali te será dito tudo o que te é ordenado fazer.
Then I said “What am I to do, Lord?” “Get up and go into Damascus,” The Lord said to me, “and there you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.”
11 E quando eu não [conseguia] ver, por causa da glória daquela luz, eu fui levado pela mão dos que estavam comigo, e [assim] cheguei a Damasco.
In consequence of that dazzling light I could not see, but my companions held me by the hand, until I reached Damascus.
12 E um certo Ananias, homem devoto conforme a Lei, que tinha [bom] testemunho de todos os judeus que moravam [ali];
There a man named Ananias, a strict observer of our Law, well spoken of by all the Jewish inhabitants, came to see me.
13 Tendo vindo até mim, e ficando [diante de mim], ele me disse: Irmão Saulo, recupere a vista; E naquela mesma hora eu [pude] vê-lo.
Standing close to me, he said “Saul, my brother, recover your sight.” And then and there I recovered my sight and looked up at him.
14 E ele disse: O Deus de nossos pais te predeterminou para que tu conheças a vontade dele, e vejas aquele justo, e tu ouças a voz de sua boca.
Then he said “The God of our ancestors has appointed you to learn his will, and to see the righteous one, and to hear words from his lips;
15 Porque tu serás testemunha dele para com todos as pessoas, daquilo que tens visto e ouvido.
for you will be a witness for him to all the world of what you have just seen and heard.
16 E agora, por que estás parado? Levanta-te, e sê batizado, e lava teus pecados, invocando o nome do Senhor.
And now why wait any longer, Be baptized at once, wash away your sins, and invoke his name.”
17 E aconteceu a mim, tendo eu voltado a Jerusalém, e estando orando no Templo, veio-me um êxtase;
After my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying one day in the Temple, I fell into a trance,
18 E eu vi aquele que me dizia: Apressa-te, e sai logo de Jerusalém, porque não aceitarão teu testemunho sobre mim.
and saw Jesus saying to me “Make haste and leave Jerusalem at once, because they will not accept your testimony about me.”
19 E eu disse: Senhor, eles sabem que eu prendia e açoitava nas sinagogas aqueles que criam em ti.
“Lord,” I answered, “these people know that I used to imprison and scourge, in synagogue after synagogue, those who believed in you;
20 E quando o sangue de Estêvão, tua testemunha, se derramava, eu também estava presente, e consentia em sua morte, e guardava as roupas daqueles que o matavam.
and, when the blood of your martyr, Stephen, was being shed, I was myself standing by, approving of his death, and took charge of the clothes of those who were murdering him.”
21 E ele me disse: Vai, porque eu te enviarei para longe, aos gentios.
But Jesus said to me “Go; for I will send you to the Gentiles far away”.’
22 E eles o ouviram até esta palavra, e [em seguida] levantaram suas vozes, dizendo: Extermina-o da terra! Porque não é bom que ele viva.
Up to this point the people had been listening to Paul, but at these words they called out, ‘Kill him! A fellow like this ought not to have been allowed to live!’
23 E enquanto eles gritavam, tiravam [suas] capas, e lançavm pó ao ar,
As they were shouting, tearing off their clothes, and throwing dust in the air,
24 O comandante mandou que o levassem à área fortificada, dizendo que o interrogassem com açoites, para saber por que causa clamavam assim contra ele.
the commanding officer ordered Paul to be taken into the Fort, and directed that he should be examined under the lash so that he might find out the reason for their outcry against him.
25 E quando estavam o atando com correias, Paulo disse ao centurião que estava ali: É lícito para vós açoitar a um homem romano, sem [ter sido] condenado?
But just as they had tied him up to be scourged, Paul said to the centurion standing near, ‘Is it legal for you to scourge a Roman citizen, unconvicted?’
26 E o centurião, tendo ouvido [isto], foi e avisou ao comandante, dizendo: Olha o que estás a ponto de fazer, porque este homem é romano.
On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commanding officer. ‘Do you know what you are doing?’ he said. ‘This man is a Roman citizen.’
27 E o comandante, tendo se aproximado, disse-lhe: Dize-me, tu és romano? E ele disse: Sim.
So the commanding officer went up to Paul and said, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ ‘Yes,’ replied Paul.
28 E o comandante respondeu: Eu com muita soma [de dinheiro] obtive esta cidadania [romana]. E Paulo disse: E eu [a tenho] desde que nasci.
‘I had to pay a heavy price for my position as citizen,’ said the officer. ‘I am one by birth,’ rejoined Paul.
29 Então logo se afastaram dele aqueles que estavam para interrogá-lo; e até o comandante teve temor, ao entender que [Paulo] era romano, e que tinha o atado.
The men who were to have examined Paul immediately drew back, and the officer, finding that Paul was a Roman citizen, was alarmed at having put him in chains.
30 E no[dia] seguinte, querendo saber corretamente a causa de por que ele era acusado pelos judeus, ele o soltou das correntes, e mandou vir aos chefes dos sacerdotes e todo o supremo conselho deles; e tendo trazido a Paulo, apresentou [-o] diante deles.
On the next day the commanding officer, wishing to find out the real reason why Paul was denounced by the Jewish leaders, had his chains taken off, and directed the chief priests and the whole of the High Council to assemble, and then took Paul down and brought him before them.
