1 — Irmãos e pais, escutem agora o que tenho a dizer em minha defesa.

2 Quando ouviram que Paulo lhes falava em língua hebraica, fizeram mais silêncio ainda. Paulo continuou:

3 — Eu sou judeu, nasci em Tarso da Cilícia, mas fui criado nesta cidade e aqui fui instruído aos pés de Gamaliel, segundo o rigor da Lei de nossos antepassados, sendo zeloso para com Deus, assim como todos vocês o são no dia de hoje. 4 Persegui este Caminho até a morte, prendendo homens e mulheres e lançando-os na cadeia. 5 Disto são testemunhas o sumo sacerdote e todos os anciãos. Deles eu recebi cartas para os irmãos judeus de Damasco, e fui até lá para trazer amarrados a Jerusalém os que também lá estivessem, para serem punidos.

6 — Ora, aconteceu que, enquanto eu viajava, já perto de Damasco, quase ao meio-dia, repentinamente, uma grande luz do céu brilhou ao redor de mim. 7 Então caí por terra, ouvindo uma voz que me dizia: "Saulo, Saulo, por que você me persegue?" 8 Perguntei: "Senhor, quem é você?" Ao que me respondeu: "Eu sou Jesus, o Nazareno, a quem você persegue."

9 — Os que estavam comigo viram a luz, sem, contudo, perceber o sentido da voz de quem falava comigo. 10 Então perguntei: "Senhor, o que devo fazer?" E o Senhor me disse: "Levante-se, entre em Damasco, onde lhe dirão tudo o que você precisa fazer." 11 Tendo ficado cego por causa da intensidade daquela luz, guiado pela mão dos que estavam comigo, cheguei a Damasco.

12 — Um homem chamado Ananias, piedoso conforme a Lei, tendo bom testemunho de todos os judeus que ali moravam, 13 veio procurar-me e, chegando perto de mim, disse: "Irmão Saulo, recupere a visão!" Nessa mesma hora, recuperei a visão e olhei para ele. 14 Então ele disse: "O Deus de nossos pais escolheu você de antemão para conhecer a vontade dele, ver o Justo e ouvir a voz dele. 15 Porque você terá de ser testemunha dele diante de todos, anunciando as coisas que você tem visto e ouvido. 16 E agora, o que está esperando? Levante-se, receba o batismo e lave os seus pecados, invocando o nome dele."

17 — Quando voltei para Jerusalém, enquanto orava no templo, sobreveio-me um êxtase, 18 e vi o Senhor. Ele me disse: "Ande logo e saia imediatamente de Jerusalém, porque não aceitarão o seu testemunho a meu respeito." 19 Eu respondi: "Senhor, eles bem sabem que eu ia de sinagoga em sinagoga, prendendo e açoitando os que criam em ti. 20 Quando se derramava o sangue de Estêvão, tua testemunha, eu também estava presente, consentia nisso e até guardei as capas dos que o matavam." 21 Mas ele me disse: "Vá, porque eu o enviarei para longe, aos gentios."

22 Até este ponto a multidão ficou ouvindo. Mas, quando Paulo disse isso, começaram a gritar bem alto:

— Fora com ele! Mate-o, porque ele não merece viver!

23 Enquanto eles gritavam, tiravam as suas capas e jogavam poeira para o ar, 24 o comandante ordenou que Paulo fosse recolhido à fortaleza e que, sob açoite, fosse interrogado para saber por que motivo estavam gritando assim contra ele. 25 Quando o estavam amarrando com correias, Paulo perguntou ao centurião que ali estava:

— Será que vocês têm o direito de açoitar um cidadão romano, sem que ele tenha sido condenado?

26 Ouvindo isto, o centurião procurou o comandante e lhe disse:

— Que é isso que o senhor está prestes a fazer? Saiba que aquele homem é cidadão romano.

27 Então o comandante veio e perguntou a Paulo:

— Diga-me uma coisa: você é romano?

Paulo respondeu:

— Sou.

28 E o comandante disse:

— Eu tive de gastar muito dinheiro para conseguir essa cidadania.

Ao que Paulo respondeu:

— Pois eu a tenho de nascença.

29 Imediatamente se afastaram os que iam interrogá-lo com açoites. O próprio comandante ficou com medo quando soube que Paulo era romano, porque tinha mandado amarrá-lo.

30 No dia seguinte, querendo certificar-se dos motivos por que Paulo vinha sendo acusado pelos judeus, o comandante o soltou e ordenou que se reunissem os principais sacerdotes e todo o Sinédrio. E, mandando trazer Paulo, apresentou-o diante deles.

1 Men, brothers, and fathers, hear you my defense which I make now to you.

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

3 I am truly a man which 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, and was zealous toward God, as you all are this day.

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

5 As also the high priest does bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound to Jerusalem, for to be punished.

6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come near to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

7 And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecute you me?

8 And I answered, Who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.

9 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 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 you of all things which are appointed for you to do.

11 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 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelled there,

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

14 And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you, that you should know his will, and see that Just One, and should hear the voice of his mouth.

15 For you shall be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16 And now why tarry you? arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

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

18 And saw him saying to me, Make haste, and get you quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive your testimony concerning me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what you do: for this man is a Roman.

27 Then the chief captain came, and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, Yes.

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

29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty why he was accused of 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.