Hechos de los Apóstoles 22

EL LIBRO DEL PUEBLO DE DIOS	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 «Hermanos y padres, les dijo, escuchen lo que hoy les voy a decir en mi defensa».	1 “Noble brothers and fathers, listen to the explanation that I now give to you.”
2 Al oír que hablaba en hebreo, el silencio se hizo aún más profundo. Pablo prosiguió:	2 And when they heard him speaking to them in the Hebrew language, they offered a greater silence.
3 «Yo soy judío, nacido en Tarso de Cilicia, pero me he criado en esta ciudad y he sido iniciado a los pies de Gamaliel en la estricta observancia de la Ley de nuestros padres. Estaba lleno de celo por Dios, como ustedes lo están ahora.	3 And he said: “I am a Jewish man, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but raised in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, just as all of you also are to this day.
4 Perseguí a muerte a los que seguían este Camino, llevando encadenados a la prisión a hombres y mujeres;	4 I persecuted this Way, even unto death, binding and delivering into custody both men and women,
5 el Sumo Sacerdote y el Consejo de los ancianos son testigos de esto. Ellos mismos me dieron cartas para los hermanos de Damasco, y yo me dirigí allá con el propósito de traer encadenados a Jerusalén a los que encontrara en esa ciudad, para que fueran castigados.	5 just as the high priest and all those greater by birth bear witness to me. Having received letters from them to the brothers, I journeyed to Damascus, so that I might lead them bound from there to Jerusalem, so that they might be punished.
6 En el camino y al acercarme a Damasco, hacia el mediodía, una intensa luz que venía del cielo brilló de pronto a mi alrededor.	6 But it happened that, as I was traveling and was approaching Damascus at midday, suddenly from heaven a great light shone around me.
7 Caí en tierra y oí una voz que me decía: «Saulo, Saulo, ¿por qué me persigues?».	7 And falling to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
8 Le respondí: «¿Quién eres, Señor?», y la voz me dijo: «Yo soy Jesús de Nazaret, a quien tú persigues».	8 And I responded, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’
9 Los que me acompañaban vieron la luz, pero no oyeron la voz del que me hablaba.	9 And those who were with me, indeed, saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of him who was speaking with me.
10 Yo le pregunté: «¿Qué debo hacer, Señor?». El Señor me dijo: «Levántate y ve a Damasco donde se te dirá lo que debes hacer».	10 And I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ Then the Lord said to me: ‘Rise up, and go to Damascus. And there, you shall be told all that you must do.’
11 Pero como yo no podía ver, a causa del resplandor de esa luz, los que acompañaban me llevaron de la mano hasta damasco.	11 And since I could not see, because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by my companions, and I went to Damascus.
12 Un hombre llamado Ananías, fiel cumplidor de la Ley, que gozaba de gran prestigio entre los judíos del lugar,	12 Then a certain Ananias, a man in accord with the law, having the testimony of all the Jews who were living there,
13 vino a verme y, acercándose a mí, me dijo: «Hermano Saulo, recobra la vista». Y en ese mismo instante, pude verlo.	13 drawing near to me and standing close by, said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see!’ And in that same hour, I looked upon him.
14 El siguió diciendo: «El Dios de nuestros padres te ha destinado para conocer su voluntad, para ver al Justo y escuchar su Palabra,	14 But he said: ‘The God of our fathers has preordained you, so that you would come to know his will and would see the Just One, and would hear the voice from his mouth.
15 porque tú darás testimonio ante todos los hombres de lo que has visto y oído.	15 For you shall be his witness to all men about those things which you have seen and heard.
16 Y ahora, ¿qué esperas? Levántate, recibe el bautismo y purifícate de tus pecados, invocando su Nombre».	16 And now, why do you delay? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, by invoking his name.’
17 De vuelta a Jerusalén, mientras oraba en el Templo, caí en éxtasis	17 Then it happened that, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, a mental stupor came over me,
18 y vi al Señor que me decía: Aléjate rápidamente de Jerusalén, porque ellos no recibirán el testimonio que tú darás de mí».	18 and I saw him saying to me: ‘Hurry! Depart quickly from Jerusalem! For they will not accept your testimony about me.’
19 Entonces respondí: «Ellos saben, Señor, que yo iba de una sinagoga a otra para encarcelar y azotar a los que creen en ti.	19 And I said: ‘Lord, they know that I am beating and enclosing in prison, throughout every synagogue, those who have believed in you.
20 Y saben que cuando derramaban la sangre de Esteban, tu testigo, yo también estaba presente, aprobando su muerte y cuidando la ropa de los verdugos».	20 And when the blood of your witness Stephen was poured out, I stood nearby and was consenting, and I watched over the garments of those who put him to death.’
21 Pero él me dijo: «Vete, porque quiero enviarte lejos, a las naciones paganas».	21 And he said to me, ‘Go forth. For I am sending you to far away nations.’ ”
22 Hasta aquí los judíos lo escucharon, pero al oír estas palabras comenzaron a gritar diciendo: «¡Elimina a este hombre. No merece vivir!».	22 Now they were listening to him, until this word, and then they lifted up their voice, saying: “Take this kind away from the earth! For it is not fitting for him to live!”
23 Todos vociferaban, agitaban sus manos y tiraban tierra al aire.	23 And while they were shouting, and tossing aside their garments, and casting dust into the air,
24 El tribuno hizo entrar a Pablo en la fortaleza y ordenó que lo azotaran para saber por qué razón gritaban así contra él.	24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the fortress, and to be scourged and tortured, in order to discover the reason that they were crying out in this way against him.
25 Cuando lo sujetaron con las correas, Pablo dijo al centurión de turno: «¿Les está permitido azotar a un ciudadano romano sin haberlo juzgado?».	25 And when they had tied him with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing near him, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and has not been condemned?”
26 Al oír estas palabras, el centurión fui a informar al tribuno: «¿Qué va a hacer?, le dijo. Este hombre es ciudadano romano».	26 Upon hearing this, the centurion went to the tribune and reported it to him, saying: “What do you intend to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”
27 El tribuno fue a preguntar a Pablo: «¿Tú eres ciudadano romano?». Y él le respondió: «Sí».	27 And the tribune, approaching, said to him: “Tell me. Are you a Roman?” So he said, “Yes.”
28 El tribuno prosiguió: «A mí me costó mucho dinero adquirir esa ciudadanía». «En cambio, yo la tengo de nacimiento», dijo Pablo.	28 And the tribune responded, “I obtained this citizenship at great cost.” And Paul said, “But I was born to it.”
29 Inmediatamente, se retiraron los que iban a azotarlo, y el tribunal se alarmó al enterarse de que había hecho encadenar a un ciudadano romano.	29 Therefore, those who were going to torture him, immediately withdrew from him. The tribune was similarly afraid, after he realized that he was a Roman citizen, for he had bound him.
30 Al día siguiente, queriendo saber con exactitud de qué lo acusaban los judíos, el tribuno le hizo sacar las cadenas, y convocando a los sumos sacerdotes y a todo el Sanedrín, hizo comparecer a Pablo delante de ellos.	30 But on the next day, wanting to discover more diligently what the reason was that he was accused by the Jews, he released him, and he ordered the priests to convene, with the entire council. And, producing Paul, he stationed him among them.