Actuum Apostolorum 22

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

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense [which I make] now to you.

2 Cum audissent autem quia Hebraea lingua loqueretur ad illos, magis praestiterunt silentium.

(And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept the more silence: and he saith, )

3 Et dixit: Ego sum vir Iudaeus, natus in Tarso Ciliciae, nutritus autem in ista civitate, secus pedes Gamalielis eruditus iuxta veritatem paternae legis, aemulator legis, sicut et vos omnes estis hodie:

I am verily a man [who am] a Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, being zealous towards God, as ye all are this day.

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

And I persecuted this way even to death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

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

As also the high priest doth bear me testimony, and all the estate of the elders; from whom also I received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them who were there bound to Jerusalem, to be punished.

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

And it came to pass, that as I was passing on my journey, and had come nigh to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light around me.

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

And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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

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

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

And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spoke to me.

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

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which are appointed for thee to do.

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

And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

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

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews who dwelt [there],

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

Came to me, and stood, and said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

14 At ille dixit: Deus patrum nostrorum praeordinavit te, ut cognosceres voluntatem eius, et videres iustum, et audires vocem ex ore eius:

And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth.

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

For thou shalt be his witness to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

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

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

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

And it came to pass, that when I had come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

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

And saw him saying to me, Make haste, and depart quickly from Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

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

And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

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

And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

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

And he said to me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence to the Gentiles.

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

And they gave him audience to this word, and [then] lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a [man] from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

23 Vociferantibus autem eis, et proiicientibus vestimenta sua, et pulverem iactantibus in aerem,

And as they cried out, and cast off [their] clothes, and threw dust into the air,

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

The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know for what cause they cried so against him.

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

And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

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

When the centurion heard [that], he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest; for this man is a Roman.

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

Then the chief captain came, and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yes.

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

And the chief captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, But I was [free] born.

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

Then forthwith they departed from him who were about to examine him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

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

On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty why he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from [his] bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.