1 “My fellow Jews, listen to me as I make my defense before you!” 2 When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even quieter; and Paul went on:
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in Jerusalem as a student of Gamaliel. I received strict instruction in the Law of our ancestors and was just as dedicated to God as are all of you who are here today. 4 I persecuted to the death the people who followed this Way. I arrested men and women and threw them into prison. 5 The High Priest and the whole Council can prove that I am telling the truth. I received from them letters written to fellow Jews in Damascus, so I went there to arrest these people and bring them back in chains to Jerusalem to be punished.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
(Acts 9.1-19Acts 26.12-18)6 “As I was traveling and coming near Damascus, about midday a bright light from the sky flashed suddenly around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ 8 ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute,’ he said to me. 9 The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 I asked, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ and the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that God has determined for you to do.’ 11 I was blind because of the bright light, and so my companions took me by the hand and led me into Damascus.
12 “In that city was a man named Ananias, a religious man who obeyed our Law and was highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He came to me, stood by me, and said, ‘Brother Saul, see again!’ At that very moment I saw again and looked at him. 14 He said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see his righteous Servant, and to hear him speaking with his own voice. 15 For you will be a witness for him to tell everyone what you have seen and heard. 16 And now, why wait any longer? Get up and be baptized and have your sins washed away by praying to him.’
Paul's Call to Preach to the Gentiles
17 “I went back to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the Temple, I had a vision, 18 in which I saw the Lord, as he said to me, ‘Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your witness about me.’ 19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that I went to the synagogues and arrested and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when your witness Stephen was put to death, I myself was there, approving of his murder and taking care of the cloaks of his murderers.’ 21 ‘Go,’ the Lord said to me, ‘for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 The people listened to Paul until he said this; but then they started shouting at the top of their voices, “Away with him! Kill him! He's not fit to live!” 23 They were screaming, waving their clothes, and throwing dust up in the air. 24 The Roman commander ordered his men to take Paul into the fort, and he told them to whip him in order to find out why the Jews were screaming like this against him. 25 But when they had tied him up to be whipped, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it lawful for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been tried for any crime?”
26 When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked him, “What are you doing? That man is a Roman citizen!”
27 So the commander went to Paul and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”
“Yes,” answered Paul.
28 The commander said, “I became one by paying a large amount of money.”
“But I am one by birth,” Paul answered.
29 At once the men who were going to question Paul drew back from him; and the commander was frightened when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had put him in chains.
Paul before the Council
30 The commander wanted to find out for sure what the Jews were accusing Paul of; so the next day he had Paul's chains taken off and ordered the chief priests and the whole Council to meet. Then he took Paul and made him stand before them.
XXII.
Pōvuls runoj ļaudim.
1 Veiri, brōli un tāvi, pasaklausit munas atsataisnōšonas runas, ar kuru es tagad pi jums grīžūs. 2 Tī, izdzērduši, ka uz jim runoj ebreju volūdā, palyka vēļ klusōki. Un jys runōja: 3 Es asmu jūdu veirs, pēc dzimšonas nu Cilicijas Tarsim, šeit šytamā piļsātā izaudzāts un pi Gamalieļa kōjom bōrgajūs tāvu lykumūs mōceits. Es beju centeigs Dīva (lykuma) aizstōvātōjs, kai jyus visi vēļ šudiņ esit. 4 Kai taids es šytū ticeibu vojōju leidz nōvei un es lyku veirīšus un sīvītes sasīt un slūdzeit cītumūs. 5 Šytū maņ var aplīcynōt vērsgoreidznīks un vysa augstō padūme. Nu jim es sajēmu vēstules uz Damaska brōlim un devūs uz turīni, lai ari tūs, kas tur beja, sasītus vastu uz Jeruzalemu nūstrōpēšonai.
6 Bet kad es, braukdams uz turīni, beju natōli nu Damaska, ap pusdīnas laiku mani umai nu dabasim apjēme lela gaisma. 7 Pakritis uz zemes, es izdzēržu maņ saucūšu bolsu: Saul, Saul, kōpēc tu mani vojoj? 8 Tad es atbiļdēju: Kungs, kas Tu esi? Un Jys maņ saceja: Es asmu Jezus Nazareīts, kuru tu vojoj. 9 Muni ceļa bīdri gaismu gon redzēja, bet tō bolsa, kurs maņ sauce, nadzērdēja. 10 Tad es vaicōju: Kungs, kas maņ doroms? Un Kungs maņ atbiļdēja: Celīs augšā un ej uz Damasku, tur tev vysu, kas doroms, pasaceis.
11 Un tai, kai es gaismas spūžuma dēļ navarēju nikō redzēt, uz Damasku mani aiz rūkom aizvede muni ceļa bīdri. 12 Tur pi manis atgōja kaids lykumam uzticeigs cylvāks Ananiass, kuram pi visim turīnes jūdim ir loba slava. 13 Jys, pīgōjis pi manis klōtu, saceja: Saul, brōļ, esi redzeigs, un es tamā pat breidī jū īraudzeju. 14 Tad jys saceja tōļōk: Myusu tāvu Dīvs tevi izlaseja, ka tu pazeitu Jō grybu, ka radzātu Taisneigū un ka nu Jō lyupom izdzērstu bolsu, 15 jo tev byus vysu ļaužu prīškā jōlīcynoj tū, kū tu esi redzējis un dzērdējis. 16 Un kōpēc vēļ tagad vylcynojīs? Celīs augšā, pījem kristeibu, un, pīsaucis Jō vōrda, apmozgoj sovus grākus. 17 Un kad es, atsagrīzis atpakaļ uz Jeruzalemu, svētneicā lyudžūs, es īkrytu ekstazē. 18 Es īraudzeju Jū, un Jys maņ saceja: Steidzīs un nu Jeruzalemas ej prūjom, jo te tovas līceibas par Mani napījims. 19 Bet es atbiļdēju: Kungs, jī tadei zyna, ka es tūs lyku slūdzeit cītumā un svētneicā dauzeit tūs, kas Tev ticēja. 20 Un kad Tōva līcinīka Stepōna asnis tyka līts, es ar patikšonu stōvēju klōt un apsorgōju beņžu drēbes. 21 Bet Jys maņ teice: Ej, jo Es tevi tōli, pat uz pogōnim, syuteišu.
Jūdi pīprosa Pōvulam nōves.
22 Leidz šam jī jō klausejōs. Bet tagad pacēle sovu bolsu un klīdze: Nūst ar taidu nu zemes vērsa! Jys ilgōk dzeivōt nadreikst! 23 Un kad jī tai klīdze, sovas drēbes nūsvīduši zemē, gaisā svīde putekli. 24 Tad vērsinīks pavēlēja jū īvest karaveiru nūmetnē un šaustūt nūpratynōt, kōdēļ tī tai pret jū uzastōj. 25 Kad jū izstīpe zam syksnu peickom, Pōvuls uz klōtasūšū simtnīku atsasauce: Vai tad jums ir breivi Romas piļsōni šausteit un pi tam vēļ bez tīsas sprīduma? 26 Šytū izdzērdis, simtnīks aizgōja pi vērsinīka un jam paziņōja saceidams: Kū tu dori? Šytys cylvāks ir tadei Romas piļsōņs. 27 Tad pīgōjis klōtu vērsinīks saceja: Pasoki maņ, vai tu esi Romas piļsōņs? Un tys atbiļdēja: Jā. 28 Tad vērsinīks saceja: Es tū piļsōneibu īmontōju par lelu naudas sumu. Pōvuls tam atbiļdēja: Bet es nu dzimšonas. 29 Tad tī, kas gribēja jū nūpratynōt, tyuleņ atsastōja nūst. Tū zynūt, vērsinīku pōrjēme baile, ka jys Romas piļsōni beja licis šausteit.
Pōvuls augstōs padūmes prīškā.
30 Nōkūšā dīnā, grybādams zynōt nūteikti, kōpēc jūdi jū apvaiņōja, atraisejis jū vaļā, jys saaicynōja kūpā vērsgoreidznīkus un augstū padūmi, lyka atvest Pōvulu un stōdeit tū jūs vydā.
