Atos dos Apóstolos 22

SAGRADA BIBLIA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Irmãos e pais, ouvi o que vos tenho a dizer em minha defesa.	1 'My brothers, my fathers, listen to what I have to say to you in my defence.'
2 Quando ouviram que lhes falava em língua hebraica, escutaram-no com a maior atenção.	2 When they realised he was speaking in Hebrew, the silence was even greater than before.
3 Continuou ele: Eu sou judeu, nasci em Tarso da Cilícia, mas criei-me nesta cidade, instruí-me aos pés de Gamaliel, em toda a observância da lei de nossos pais, partidário entusiasta da causa de Deus como todos vós também o sois no dia de hoje.	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 Eu persegui de morte essa doutrina, prendendo e metendo em cárceres homens e mulheres.	4 I even persecuted this Way to the death and sent women as wel as men to prison in chains
5 O sumo sacerdote e todo o conselho dos anciãos me são testemunhas. E foi deles que também recebi cartas para os irmãos de Damasco, para onde me dirigi, com o fim de prender os que lá se achassem e trazê-los a Jerusalém, para que fossem castigados.	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 Ora, estando eu a caminho, e aproximando-me de Damasco, pelo meio-dia, de repente me cercou uma forte luz do céu.	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 Caí por terra e ouvi uma voz que me dizia: Saulo, Saulo, por que me persegues?	7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
8 Eu repliquei: Quem és tu, Senhor? A voz me disse: Eu sou Jesus de Nazaré, a quem tu persegues.	8 I answered, "Who are you, Lord?" and he said to me, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you arepersecuting."
9 Os meus companheiros viram a luz, mas não ouviram a voz de quem falava.	9 The people with me saw the light but did not hear the voice which spoke to me.
10 Então eu disse: Senhor, que devo fazer? E o Senhor me respondeu: Levanta-te, vai a Damasco e lá te será dito tudo o que deves fazer.	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 Como eu não pudesse ver por causa da intensidade daquela luz, guiado pela mão dos meus companheiros, cheguei a Damasco.	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 Um certo Ananias, homem piedoso e observador da lei, muito bem conceituado entre todos os judeus daquela cidade,	12 'Someone called Ananias, a devout fol ower of the Law and highly thought of by al the Jews livingthere,
13 veio ter comigo e disse-me: Irmão Saulo, recobra a tua vista. Naquela mesma hora pude enxergá-lo.	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 Continuou ele: O Deus de nossos pais te predestinou para que conhecesses a sua vontade, visses o Justo e ouvisses a palavra da sua boca,	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 pois lhe serás, diante de todos os homens, testemunha das coisas que tens visto e ouvido.	15 because you are to be his witness before all humanity, testifying to what you have seen and heard.
16 E agora, por que tardas? Levanta-te. Recebe o batismo e purifica-te dos teus pecados, invocando o seu nome.	16 And now why delay? Hurry and be baptised and wash away your sins, cal ing on his name."
17 Voltei para Jerusalém e, orando no templo, fui arrebatado em êxtase.	17 'It happened that, when I got back to Jerusalem, and was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance
18 E vi Jesus que me dizia: Apressa-te e sai logo de Jerusalém, porque não receberão o teu testemunho a meu respeito.	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 Eu repliquei: Senhor, eles sabem que eu encarcerava e açoitava com varas nas sinagogas os que crêem em ti.	19 "Lord," I answered, "they know that I used to go from synagogue to synagogue, imprisoning andflogging those who believed in you;
20 E quando se derramou o sangue de Estêvão, tua testemunha, eu estava presente, consentia nisso e guardava os mantos dos que o matavam.	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 Mas ele me respondeu: Vai, porque eu te enviarei para longe, às nações...	21 Then he said to me, "Go! I am sending you out to the gentiles far away." '
22 Haviam-no escutado até essa palavra. Então levantaram a voz: Tira do mundo esse homem! Não é digno de viver!	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 Como vociferassem, arrojassem de si as vestes e lançassem pó ao ar,	23 They were yel ing, waving their cloaks and throwing dust into the air,
24 o tribuno mandou recolhê-lo à cidadela, açoitá-lo e submetê-lo a torturas, para saber por que causa clamavam assim contra ele.	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 Quando o iam amarrando com a correia, Paulo perguntou a um centurião que estava presente: É permitido açoitar um cidadão romano que nem sequer foi julgado?	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 Ao ouvir isso, o centurião foi ter com o tribuno e avisou-o: Que vais fazer? Este homem é cidadão romano.	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 Veio o tribuno e perguntou-lhe: Dize-me, és romano? Sim, respondeu-lhe.	27 So the tribune came and asked him, 'Tel me, are you a Roman citizen?' Paul answered 'Yes'.
28 O tribuno replicou: Eu adquiri este direito de cidadão por grande soma de dinheiro. Paulo respondeu: Pois eu o sou de nascimento.	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 Apartaram-se então dele os que iam torturá-lo. O tribuno alarmou-se porque o mandara acorrentar, sendo ele um cidadão romano.	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 No dia seguinte, querendo saber com mais exatidão de que os judeus o acusavam, soltou-o e ordenou que se reunissem os sumos sacerdotes e todo o Grande Conselho. Trouxe Paulo e o mandou comparecer diante deles.	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.