| 1 "Irmãos e pais, ouvi o que agora tenho a dizer-vos para minha defesa." | 1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. |
| 2 Quando ouviram que lhes falava em língua hebraica, escutaram-no com maior atenção. | 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) |
| 3 Disse: "Eu sou judeu nascido em Tarso da Cilicia, mas educado nesta cidade, aos pés de Gamaliel, instruído, a fundo, na lei de nossos pais, cheio de zelo de Deus, como todos vós também o sois hoje. | 3 I am verily 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 ye all are this day. |
| 4 Persegui de morte esta doutrina, prendendo e metendo em cárceres homens e mulheres, | 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. |
| 5 como o príncipe dos sacerdotes e todos os anciães me são testemunhas, dos quais tendo recebido cartas para os irmãos, caminhava para Damasco, com o fim de os trazer dali presos a Jerúsalem, para que fossem castigados. | 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. |
| 6 Mas aconteceu que, indo eu no caminho, encontrando-me perto de Damasco, ao meio-dia, de repente resplandeceu em volta de mim uma grande luz do céu. | 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. |
| 7 Caindo por terra, ouvi uma voz que dizia: Saulo, Saulo, por que me persegues? | 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? |
| 8 Respondi: Quem és tu, Senhor? Disse-me: Sou Jesus Nazareno, a quem tu persegues. | 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. |
| 9 Os que estavam comigo, viram luz, mas não ouviram a voz daquele que me falava. | 9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. |
| 10 Eu disse: Senhor, que devo fazer? E o Senhor disse-me: Levanta-te, vai a Damasco, e lá te será dito tudo o que deves fazer. | 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. |
| 11 Não vendo eu nada pelo intenso clarão daquela luz, levado pela mão dos companheiros, cheguei a Damasco. | 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 Um certo Ananias, homem segundo a lei, que tinha o bom testemunho de todos os Judeus que ali viviam, | 12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, |
| 13 vindo ter comigo e pondo-se-me diante, disse-me: Saulo, irmão, recupera a vista. E eu, no mesmo instante, o vi a ele. | 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. |
| 14 Ele disse: O Deus de nossos pais te predestinou para que conhecesses a sua vontade, visses o Justo e ouvisses a voz da sua boca, | 14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. |
| 15 porque tu serás sua testemunha, diante de todos os homens, das coisas que viste e ouviste. | 15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. |
| 16 Agora que esperas tu? Levanta-te, recebe o baptismo e lava os teus pecados, invocando o seu nome. | 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. |
| 17 Voltando eu a Jerusalém e orando no templo, fui arrebatado fora de mim | 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 e vi o Senhor que me dizia: Apressa-te e sai, o mais depressa possível, de Jerusalém, porque não receberão o testemunho que darás de mim. | 18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. |
| 19 Eu disse: Senhor, eles sabem que era eu o que metia na prisão e açoutava pelas sinagogas os que criam em ti. | 19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: |
| 20 E, enquanto se derramava o sangue de Estêvão, tua testemunha, eu estava presente, aprovava e guardava as vestes dos que o matavam. | 20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. |
| 21 Mas ele disse-me: Vai, porque te enviarei a nações remotas." | 21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. |
| 22 (Os Judeus) tinham-no ouvido até esta palavra, mas levantaram então a sua voz, dizendo: "Tira do mundo tal homem; não é justo que viva." | 22 And they gave him audience unto 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 Como eles gritassem e arrojassem de si as suas vestes e lançassem poeira ao ar, | 23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, |
| 24 o tribuno mandou metê-lo na fortaleza, ordenando que o submetessem ao tormento dos açoites para saber por que motivo clamavam assim contra ele. | 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 wherefore they cried so against him. |
| 25 Tendo-o ligado com correias, disse Paulo ao centurião, que estava presente: "É vos permitido açoitar um cidadão romano, que nem mesmo foi condenado?" | 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? |
| 26 Tendo ouvido isto, o centurião foi ter com o tribuno e avisou-o, dizendo: "Que vais fazer? Este homem é cidadão romano." | 26 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 Vindo o tribuno, disse-lhe: "Dize-me se és cidadão romano?" Ele respondeu: "Sim". | 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. |
| 28 O tribuno replicou: "A mim custou-me uma grande soma de dinheiro alcançar este foro de cidadão." Paulo disse: "Pois eu sou-o de nascimento." | 28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. |
| 29 imediatamente afastaram-se dele os que o haviam de pôr a tormento. Também o tribuno teve medo, depois que soube que era cidadão romano, e porque o tinha mandado algemar. | 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 No dia seguinte, querendo saber com mais exactidão a causa que tinham os Judeus para o acusar, mandou soltá-lo e ordenou que se juntassem os chefes dos sacerdotes e todo o Sinédrio, e, trazendo Paulo, colocou-o diante deles. | 30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore 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. |
