Lettera ai Colossesi - מכתב לקולוסים 22

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW JERUSALEM
1 אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים וְאָבוֹת שִׁמְעוּ־נָא אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הִצְטַדְּקוּתִי אֲלֵיכֶם	1 'My brothers, my fathers, listen to what I have to say to you in my defence.'
2 וַיְהִי כְּשָׁמְעָם כִּי הוּא מְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם בְּלָשׁוֹן עִבְרִית וַיֶּחֱשׁוּ עוֹד יוֹתֵר	2 When they realised he was speaking in Hebrew, the silence was even greater than before.
3 וַיֹּאמַר אִישׁ־יְהוּדִי אָנֹכִי נוֹלָד בְּטַרְסוֹס אֲשֶׁר בְּקִילִיקְיָא וּמְגֻדָּל בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת לְרַגְלֵי גַמְלִיאֵל וּמְלֻמָּד לְפִי דִקְדּוּקֵי תּוֹרַת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וָאֱהִי מְקַנֵּא לֵאלֹהִים כְּמוֹכֶם כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם	3 'I am a Jew', Paul said, 'and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. It wasunder Gamaliel that I studied and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors. In fact, I was asful of duty towards God as you al are today.
4 וָאֲרַדֵּף אֶת־הַדֶּרֶךְ הַזֹּאת עַד־מָוֶת וָאֱהִי אֹסֵר וּמַסְגִּיר לַכֶּלֶא אֲנָשִׁים וְנָשִׁים	4 I even persecuted this Way to the death and sent women as wel as men to prison in chains
5 כַּאֲשֶׁר גַּם־יָעִיד עָלַי הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וְכָל הַזְּקֵנִים אֲשֶׁר מֵהֶם לָקַחְתִּי מִכְתָּבִים וָאֵלֵךְ אֶל־הָאַחִים לְדַמֶּשֶׂק לֶאֱסֹר אַף־אֶת־הַנִּמְצָאִים שָׁמָּה וְלַהֲבִיאָם יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לְמַעַן יִוָּסֵרוּ	5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify. I even received letters from them to thebrothers in Damascus, which I took with me when I set off to bring prisoners back from there to Jerusalem forpunishment.
6 וַיְהִי אָנֹכִי הֹלֵךְ וְקָרֵב לְדַמֶּשֶׂק כְּעֵת צָהֳרָיִם וּפִתְאֹם נָגַהּ עָלַי מִסָּבִיב אוֹר גָּדוֹל מִן־הַשָּׁמָיִם	6 'It happened that I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when in the middle of the day a brightlight from heaven suddenly shone round me.
7 וָאֶפֹּל אָרְצָה וָאֶשְׁמַע קוֹל מִדַּבֵּר אֵלַי שָׁאוּל שָׁאוּל לָמָּה תִרְדְּפֵנִי	7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
8 וָאַעַן וָאֹמַר מִי אַתָּה אֲדֹנִי וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי אֲנִי יֵשׁוּעַ הַנָּצְרִי אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה רֹדְפוֹ	8 I answered, "Who are you, Lord?" and he said to me, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you arepersecuting."
9 וְהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר אִתִּי רָאוּ אֶת־הָאוֹר וַיִּירָאוּ וְאֶת־קוֹל הַמְדַבֵּר אֵלַי לֹא שָׁמֵעוּ	9 The people with me saw the light but did not hear the voice which spoke to me.
10 וָאֹמַר מָה־אֶעֱשֶׂה אֲדֹנִי וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי הָאָדוֹן קוּם לֵךְ אֶל־דַּמֶּשֶׂק וְשָׁם יֵאָמֵר לְךָ אֶת־כֹּל אֲשֶׁר צֻוֵּיתָ לַעֲשׂוֹת	10 I said, "What am I to do, Lord?" The Lord answered, "Get up and go into Damascus, and there youwil be told what you have been appointed to do."
11 וַאֲנִי לֹא־יָכֹלְתִּי לִרְאוֹת מִפְּנֵי זֹהַר הָאוֹר הַהוּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר אִתִּי הוֹלִיכוּנִי בְיָד וָאָבֹא לְדַמָּשֶׂק	11 Since the light had been so dazzling that I was blind, I got to Damascus only because my companionsled me by the hand.
12 וְאִישׁ חָסִיד כְּפִי הַתּוֹרָה וּשְׁמוֹ חֲנַנְיָה אֲשֶׁר קָנָה לוֹ שֵׁם טוֹב בְּקֶרֶב כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים הַיּשְׁבִים שָׁם	12 'Someone called Ananias, a devout fol ower of the Law and highly thought of by al the Jews livingthere,
13 וַיָּבֹא אֵלַי וַיַּעֲמֹד וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי שָׁאוּל אָחִי שׁוּב רְאֵה וּבַשָּׁעָה הַהִיא נִפְקְחוּ עֵינַי וּרְאִיתִיהוּ	13 came to see me; he stood beside me and said, "Brother Saul, receive your sight." Instantly my sightcame back and I was able to see him.
14 וַיֹּאמַר אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בָּחַר בְּךָ לָדַעַת אֶת־רְצוֹנוֹ וְלִרְאוֹת אֶת־הַצַּדִּיק וְלִשְׁמֹעַ קוֹל מִפִּיהוּ	14 Then he said, "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Upright One andhear his own voice speaking,
15 כִּי הָיוֹ תִהְיֶה־לּוֹ לְעֵד אֶל־כָּל־בְּנֵי הָאָדָם עַל־כֹּל אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָ וְשָׁמָעְתָּ	15 because you are to be his witness before all humanity, testifying to what you have seen and heard.
16 וְעַתָּה לָמָּה תִתְמַהְמֵהַּ קוּם וְהִטָּבֵל וְהִתְרַחֵץ מֵחַטֹּאתֶיךָ בְּקָרְאֲךָ בְּשֵׁם הָאָדוֹן	16 And now why delay? Hurry and be baptised and wash away your sins, cal ing on his name."
17 וַיְהִי בְּשׁוּבִי אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וָאֶתְפַּלֵּל בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ וַתְּהִי עָלַי יַד־יְהוָֹה	17 'It happened that, when I got back to Jerusalem, and was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance
18 וָאֵרֶא אוֹתוֹ מְדַבֵּר אֵלַי חוּשָׁה צֵא בִמְהֵרָה מִירוּשָׁלָיִם כִּי לֹא־יְקַבְּלוּ אֶת־עֵדוּתְךָ עָלָי	18 and then I saw him. "Hurry," he said, "leave Jerusalem at once; they wil not accept the testimony you are giving about me."
19 וָאֹמַר הֲלֹא הֵם יוֹדְעִים אֵת אֲשֶׁר־הִשְׁלַכְתִּי אֶל־הַכֶּלֶא וְהִלְקֵיתִי בְּבָתֵּי הַכְּנֵסִיּוֹת אֵת הַמַּאֲמִינִים בָּךְ	19 "Lord," I answered, "they know that I used to go from synagogue to synagogue, imprisoning andflogging those who believed in you;
20 וּבְהִשָּׁפֵךְ דַּם־אִסְטְפָנוֹס עֵדֶךָ אַף־אֲנִי עָמַדְתִּי שָׁם חָפֵץ בַּהֲרֵגָתוֹ וְשׁוֹמֵר אֶת־בִּגְדֵי הֹרְגָיו	20 and that when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I, too, was standing by, in fullagreement with his murderers, and in charge of their clothes."
21 וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי לֵךְ כִּי אֲנִי אֶל הַגּוֹיִם עַד־לְמֵרָחוֹק אֲשַׁלְּחֶךָּ	21 Then he said to me, "Go! I am sending you out to the gentiles far away." '
22 וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֵלָיו עַד־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת־קוֹלָם וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָסִירוּ אִישׁ כָּזֶה מֵעַל הָאֲדָמָה כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ רָאוּי כִּי יִחְיֶה	22 So far they had listened to him, but at these words they began to shout, 'Rid the earth of the man! Heis not fit to live!'
23 וַיְהִי בִּהְיוֹתָם צֹעֲקִים וּמַשְׁלִיכִים אֶת־בִּגְדֵיהֶם מֵעֲלֵיהֶם וְזֹרְקִים עָפָר הַשָּׁמָיְמָה	23 They were yel ing, waving their cloaks and throwing dust into the air,
24 וַיְצַו שַׂר הָאֶלֶף לְהוֹלִיכוֹ אֶל־הַמְצָד וַיֹּאמֶר לְבָדְקוֹ בְּמַלְקוּת לְמַעַן יֵדַע מַדּוּעַ הֵמָּה כָּכָה צֹעֲקִים עָלָיו	24 and so the tribune had him brought into the fortress and ordered him to be examined under the lash,to find out the reason for the outcry against him.
25 וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר אֻסַּר לְהַכּוֹתוֹ בִרְצוּעוֹת וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־שַׂר הַמֵּאָה הָעֹמֵד עָלָיו הַאַף רִשְׁיוֹן לָכֶם לְהַכּוֹת אִישׁ רוֹמִי בְּלֹא־דִין וּמִשְׁפָּט	25 But when they had strapped him down Paul said to the centurion on duty, 'Is it legal for you to flog aman who is a Roman citizen and has not been brought to trial?'
26 וַיֵּלֶךְ שַׂר הַמֵּאָה כְּשָׁמְעוֹ אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיַּגֵּד לְשַׂר הָאֶלֶף לֵאמֹר רְאֵה מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה כִּי הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה רוֹמִי הוּא	26 When he heard this the centurion went and told the tribune; 'Do you realise what you are doing?' hesaid. 'This man is a Roman citizen.'
27 וַיָּבֹא שַׂר־הָאֶלֶף וַיֹּאמַר אֱמָר־לִי הֲרוֹמִי אַתָּה וַיֹּאמֶר הֵן	27 So the tribune came and asked him, 'Tel me, are you a Roman citizen?' Paul answered 'Yes'.
28 וַיַּעַן שַׂר הָאֶלֶף אֲנִי בְּכֶסֶף רַב קָנִיתִי לִי מִשְׁפַּט הָאֶזְרָחוּת הַזֹּאת וַיֹּאמֶר פּוֹלוֹס וַאֲנִי אַף־נוֹלַדְתִּי בָהּ	28 To this the tribune replied, 'It cost me a large sum to acquire this citizenship.' 'But I was born to it,'said Paul.
29 אָז הִרְפּוּ מִמֶּנּוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ לְבָדְקוֹ וְגַם־שַׂר הָאֶלֶף יָרֵא בְּדַעְתּוֹ כִּי־רוֹמִי הוּא וְהוּא אָסַר אוֹתוֹ	29 Then those who were about to examine him hurriedly withdrew, and the tribune himself was alarmedwhen he realised that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.
30 וּמִמָּחֳרָת בִּקֵּשׁ לָדַעַת אֶל־נָכוֹן עַל־מֶה שׂטְנִים אוֹתוֹ הַיְּהוּדִים וַיַּתֵּר מוֹסְרוֹתָיו וַיְצַו לְהָבִיא אֶת־רָאשֵׁי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְאֶת־כָּל־הַסַּנְהֶדְרִין וַיּוֹרֶד אֶת־פּוֹלוֹס וַיַּעֲמִידֵהוּ בְּתוֹכָם	30 The next day, since he wanted to know for sure what charge the Jews were bringing, he freed Pauland gave orders for a meeting of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin; then he brought Paul down and sethim in front of them.