Acts 22
1 Paul said, “[Jewish] elders and my other fellow Jews, listen to me now while I reply to [those who are accusing me]!”
Mannen, broeders en vaders, luistert naar wat ik u thans te mijner verdediging ga zeggen.
2 When the crowd of people heard Paul speaking to them in [their own] Hebrew language, they became even more quiet and really listened. Then Paul said to them,
Toen ze hoorden, dat hij in het hebreeuws tot hen sprak, werd het nog stiller. Hij vervolgde:
3 “I am a Jew, [as are all of you]. I was born in Tarsus [city], in Cilicia [province], but I grew up here in Jerusalem. [When I was young, for many years] I studied the laws [that Moses gave to our ancestors]. I was taught by [the famous teacher] Gamaliel [MTY] {[The famous teacher] Gamaliel taught [MTY] me}. [I have] carefully [obeyed those laws, because] I have wanted to obey God. I [am sure that] many of you also carefully obey [those laws].
Ik ben een jood, geboren te Tarsus in Cilicië, maar opgevoed in deze stad; aan de voeten van Gamáliël ben ik geschoold volgens de strenge uitleg der voorvaderlijke Wet, en werd ik een ijveraar voor God, zoals gij dat allen heden zijt.
4 [That is why] I previously persecuted those who believe the message [that people call] the Way [that Jesus taught. I continually looked for ways] to kill [them. Whenever I found] men or women [who believed that message], I [commanded that] they should be seized and thrown {[people to] seize them and throw them} into jail.
Daarom heb ik deze richting ten dode toe vervolgd, mannen en vrouwen in boeien geslagen en in de gevangenis geworpen,
5 The supreme priest knows this, and so do the [other respected men who belong to our Jewish] Council. They gave me letters to [take to] their fellow Jews in Damascus [city. By means of those letters, they authorized me to] go to there and find people who believed in [Jesus. They had written in the letters that I was to bring those people] as prisoners to Jerusalem, so that they would be punished here {[the leaders here] could punish them}. [So I went on my way to Damascus].
zoals ook de hogepriester en heel de Raad kan getuigen. Zelfs kreeg ik brieven van hen mee voor de broeders in Damascus; en ik reisde daarheen, om ook hen, die zich daar bevonden, geboeid naar Jerusalem te voeren, en hen te doen straffen.
6 About noon, my companions and I were getting near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed all around me.
Maar toen ik op mijn reis Damascus naderde, bliksemde eensklaps midden op de dag een schitterend licht uit de hemel om mij heen.
7 [The light was so bright that] I fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice [of someone] speaking to me [from up in the sky. The one who was speaking to me said], ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you [(sg)] do things to harm me?’
Ik viel op de grond, en hoorde een stem, die mij zeide: "Saul, Saul, waarom vervolgt ge Mij?"
8 I answered, ‘Who are you?’ He replied, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth. I [am the one] whom you [(sg)] are harming [by doing things to harm my followers].’
Ik antwoordde: "Wie zijt Gij, Heer?" Hij sprak tot mij: "Ik ben Jesus van Názaret, dien ge vervolgt".
9 The men who were [traveling] with me saw the [very bright] light, [and they heard a voice], but they did not understand what the voice said to me.
Mijn gezellen zagen wel het licht, maar de stem van Hem, die met mij sprak, hoorden ze niet
10 Then I asked, ‘Lord, what [do you want] me to do?’ The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus! [A man] there will tell you [(sg)] all that I have planned for you to do.’
Toen zei ik: "Heer, wat moet ik doen?" En de Heer sprak tot mij: "Sta op, en ga naar Damascus; daar zal men u alles zeggen, wat u gelast wordt".
11 [After that, I could not see], because the [very bright] light had caused me to become blind. So my companions took me by the hand and led me until [we(exc) arrived] in Damascus.
En daar ik niet meer kon zien door de glans van dat licht, namen mijn gezellen me bij de hand, en zó kwam ik te Damascus aan.
12 [A couple of days] later, a man whose name was Ananias came to [see] me. He was a man who [greatly respected God and] carefully obeyed [our Jewish] laws. All the Jews living in Damascus said good things about him.
Een zekere Ananias, een vroom man naar de Wet, en in aanzien bij alle Joden, die daar woonden,
13 He came and stood beside me and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see [again]!’ Instantly I could see! I saw Ananias [standing there beside me].
kwam naar mij toe, ging voor mij staan, en sprak: "Saul, broeder, zie op". En op hetzelfde ogenblik zag ik hem.
14 Then he said: ‘The God whom [we(inc) worship and] whom our ancestors [worshipped] has chosen you and will show you what he wants [you to do. He has allowed you] to see the righteous one, [the Messiah], and you have heard him speaking [to you].
Hij vervolgde: De God onzer vaderen heeft u voorbestemd, om zijn wil te leren kennen, den Gerechte te zien, en de stem uit zijn mond te vernemen.
15 He wants you to tell people everywhere what you have seen and heard [from him].
Want ge zult voor Hem bij alle mensen moeten getuigen, wat ge gezien en gehoord hebt.
16 So now (do not delay!/why delay?) [RHQ] Stand up, let [me] baptize you, and by praying to the Lord [Jesus ask God] to forgive you [(sg)] for your sins!’”
Nu dan, wat draalt ge? Sta op, laat u dopen, en uw zonden afwassen onder aanroeping van zijn Naam.
17 “Later, I returned to Jerusalem. [One day] I went to the Temple courtyard. While I was praying there, I saw a vision [in which]
Toen ik te Jerusalem was teruggekeerd, en eens in de tempel aan het bidden was, geraakte ik in geestverrukking.
18 I saw the Lord speaking to me. He said to me, ‘[Do not stay here]! Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people [here] will not (believe/listen to) what you [(sg)] tell [them] about me!’
Ik zag Hem, en Hij sprak tot mij: "Haast u, en vertrek aanstonds uit Jerusalem; want van u zal men geen getuigenis over Mij aanvaarden".
19 But I [protested and] said to him, ‘Lord, they know that I went to many of our meeting houses looking for people who believe in you. I was putting in jail those [whom I found] who believed in you, and I was even beating them.
Ik zeide: Heer, ze weten toch, dat ik het was, die allen, die in U geloofden, gevangen liet nemen en in de synagogen liet geselen;
20 [They remember that] when Stephen was killed [MTY] {when people killed [MTY] Stephen} because he told people about you, I stood there [watching it all] and approving [what they were doing]. I [even] guarded the outer garments that those who were murdering him [had thrown aside. So if I stay here, the fact that I have changed how I think about you will surely impress those leaders of our people].’
en dat ik er bij stond, toen het bloed werd vergoten van Stéfanus, uw getuige; dat ik er behagen in had, en de kleren bewaarde van hen, die hem doodden.
21 But the Lord said to me, ‘No, [do not stay here]! Leave [Jerusalem, because] I am going to send you [(sg)] far away [from here] to non-Jewish people!’”
Maar Hij sprak tot mij: "Ga heen; want Ik zal u zenden ver weg naar de heidenen".
22 The people listened [quietly] to what Paul was saying until [he mentioned the Lord sending him to non-Jewish people]. Then they began shouting [angrily], “Kill him! [He does not deserve to live any longer]!” [They said that because they could not believe that God would save anyone except Jews].
Tot zo ver hadden ze naar hem geluisterd; maar nu schreeuwden ze het uit: Weg met hem van de aarde; want hij is niet waard, dat hij leeft.
23 While they continued shouting, [“Kill him!”] they took off their cloaks and threw dust into the air, [which showed how angry they were].
Ze huilden, rukten zich de kleren af, en wierpen stof in de lucht.
24 So the commander [commanded] that Paul be taken {[soldiers] to take Paul} into the barracks. He told [the soldiers] that they should strike Paul with a whip [that had pieces of bone/metal on the end of it], in order to make him tell what he had done that made the Jews shout so angrily. [So the soldiers took Paul into the barracks].
Nu gaf de hoofdman bevel, hem in de burcht te voeren, en hem door geselen tot bekentenis te brengen, opdat hij te weten zou komen, waarom ze zo tegen hem te keer bleven gaan.
25 Then they stretched his arms out [and tied them] so that they could whip him [on his back. But] Paul said to the officer who was standing nearby [watching], “[You(sg) should think carefully about this]! You will certainly be [RHQ] acting unlawfully if you whip me, a Roman [citizen whom] no [one has put on trial and] condemned!”
Maar toen men Paulus had uitgestrekt, om hem te binden, zei hij tot den aanwezigen honderdman: Is het u geoorloofd, een romeins burger te geselen, die zelfs niet eens veroordeeld is?
26 When the officer heard that, he went to the commander and reported it to him. He said [to the commander], “This man is a Roman [citizen] (Surely you would not [command us to whip him]!/Do you really want [us to whip him]?) [RHQ]”
Toen de honderdman dit hoorde, ging hij den hoofdman berichten, en zeide: Wat gaat ge beginnen; die man is een Romein!
27 The commander [was surprised when he heard that. He himself] went [into the barracks] and said to Paul, “Tell me, are you [(sg) really] a Roman [citizen]?” Paul answered, “Yes, I [am].”
De hoofdman ging er naar toe, en zei hem: Zeg me, zijt ge een Romein? Hij antwoordde: Ja!
28 Then the commander said, “[I am also a Roman citizen]. I paid a lot of money to become a [Roman] citizen.” Paul said, “But I was born a [Roman] citizen, [so I did not need to pay anything].”
De hoofdman hernam: Ik heb me dat burgerrecht voor veel geld moeten kopen. Welnu, sprak Paulus, en ik heb het door geboorte verkregen.
29 The soldiers [were about to whip Paul and to ask him questions about what he had done. But when they heard what Paul said, they] left him immediately. The commander also became afraid, because he realized that Paul was a Roman [citizen] and that he had [illegally commanded soldiers to] tie up Paul’s [hands].
Nu lieten zijn pijnigers hem aanstonds met rust; en nu de hoofdman wist, dat hij Romein was, werd hij bang, ook omdat hij hem had laten boeien.
30 [The commander still] wanted to know exactly why the Jews were accusing Paul. So the next day he [told the soldiers to] take the chains off Paul. He also summoned the chief priests and the [other Jewish] Council [members]. Then he took Paul [to where the Council was meeting] and [commanded] him to stand before them.
Daar hij echter nauwkeurig wilde weten, waarvan hij door de Joden beschuldigd werd, liet hij hem de volgende dag uit de gevangenis halen, en gaf hij bevel, dat de opperpriesters en heel de Hoge Raad bijeen zouden komen. Toen bracht hij Paulus er heen, en stelde hem in hun midden.
