Actuum Apostolorum 22

1 viri fratres et patres audite quam ad vos nunc reddo rationem

Men, brothers, and fathers, hear now my defense to you.

2 cum audissent autem quia hebraea lingua loquitur ad illos magis praestiterunt silentium

And having heard that he called out to them in the Hebrew language, they offered more silence. And he says,

3 et dixit ego sum vir iudaeus natus Tarso Ciliciae nutritus autem in ista civitate secus pedes Gamalihel eruditus iuxta veritatem paternae legis aemulator legis sicut et vos omnes estis hodie

I am indeed a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but reared in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, reared accurately in the paternal law, being a zealot of God, as ye all are today.

4 qui hanc viam persecutus sum usque ad mortem alligans et tradens in custodias viros ac mulieres

And I persecuted this Way as far as death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 sicut princeps sacerdotum testimonium mihi reddit et omnes maiores natu a quibus et epistulas accipiens ad fratres Damascum pergebam ut adducerem inde vinctos in Hierusalem uti punirentur

As also the high priest testifies about me, and all the senior council, from whom also having received letters to the brothers in Damascus, I was going to bring bound even those who were there to Jerusalem so that they might be punished.

6 factum est autem eunte me et adpropinquante Damasco media die subito de caelo circumfulsit me lux copiosa

And there happened to me, while going and approaching Damascus about noon, suddenly to flash forth from heaven a great light around me.

7 et decidens in terram audivi vocem dicentem mihi Saule Saule quid me persequeris

And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do thou persecute me?

8 ego autem respondi quis es Domine dixitque ad me ego sum Iesus Nazarenus quem tu persequeris

And I answered, Who are thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou persecute.

9 et qui mecum erant lumen quidem viderunt vocem autem non audierunt eius qui loquebatur mecum

And those who were with me indeed saw the light and became afraid, but they heard not the voice of him who spoke to me.

10 et dixi quid faciam Domine Dominus autem dixit ad me surgens vade Damascum et ibi tibi dicetur de omnibus quae te oporteat facere

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, After rising, go into Damascus, and there it will be told thee about all things that have been assigned for thee to do.

11 et cum non viderem prae claritate luminis illius ad manum deductus a comitibus veni Damascum

And as I was not seeing from the splendor of that light, I came into Damascus, being led by hand by those who accompanied me.

12 Ananias autem quidam vir secundum legem testimonium habens ab omnibus habitantibus Iudaeis

And a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report by all the Jews who dwell there,

13 veniens ad me et adstans dixit mihi Saule frater respice et ego eadem hora respexi in eum

having come near me, and having stood by, he said to me, Brother Saul, look up. And I looked up on him the same hour.

14 at ille dixit Deus patrum nostrorum praeordinavit te ut cognosceres voluntatem eius et videres Iustum et audires vocem ex ore eius

And he said, The God of our fathers appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous Man, and to hear a voice from his mouth,

15 quia eris testis illius ad omnes homines eorum quae vidisti et audisti

because thou will be a witness for him to all men of the things that thou have seen and heard.

16 et nunc quid moraris exsurge baptizare et ablue peccata tua invocato nomine ipsius

And now what is it going to be? Having arisen, immerse and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

17 factum est autem revertenti mihi in Hierusalem et oranti in templo fieri me in stupore mentis

And it came to pass, my having returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, for me to became in a trance.

18 et videre illum dicentem mihi festina et exi velociter ex Hierusalem quoniam non recipient testimonium tuum de me

And I saw him saying to me, Hurry and depart in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept thy testimony about me.

19 et ego dixi Domine ipsi sciunt quia ego eram concludens in carcerem et caedens per synagogas eos qui credebant in te

And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those who believe in thee.

20 et cum funderetur sanguis Stephani testis tui ego adstabam et consentiebam et custodiebam vestimenta interficientium illum

And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I myself also was standing by, and approving his killing, and keeping the garments of those who killed him.

21 et dixit ad me vade quoniam ego in nationes longe mittam te

And he said to me, Depart, because I will send thee far away to Gentiles.

22 audiebant autem eum usque ad hoc verbum et levaverunt vocem suam dicentes tolle de terra eiusmodi non enim fas est eum vivere

And they heard him until this word. And they lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a man from the earth, for he is not fit to live.

23 vociferantibus autem eis et proicientibus vestimenta sua et pulverem iactantibus in aerem

And of them crying out, and throwing off their garments, and casting dust into the air,

24 iussit tribunus induci eum in castra et flagellis caedi et torqueri eum ut sciret propter quam causam sic adclamarent ei

the chief captain commanded him be brought into the fort, having said to examine him by scourging, so that he might know for what reason they shouted against him this way.

25 et cum adstrinxissent eum loris dixit adstanti sibi centurioni Paulus si hominem romanum et indemnatum licet vobis flagellare

And as they stretched him out with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it permitted for you to scourge a Roman man, and uncondemned?

26 quo audito centurio accessit ad tribunum et nuntiavit dicens quid acturus es hic enim homo civis romanus est

And when the centurion heard, having come to the chief captain, he reported, saying, Look! What are thou about to do? For this man is a Roman.

27 accedens autem tribunus dixit illi dic mihi tu Romanus es at ille dixit etiam

And the chief captain having come, he said to him, Tell me if thou are a Roman. And he said, Yes.

28 et respondit tribunus ego multa summa civitatem hanc consecutus sum et Paulus ait ego autem et natus sum

And the chief captain answered, Of a great sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But then I was born so.

29 protinus ergo discesserunt ab illo qui eum torturi erant tribunus quoque timuit postquam rescivit quia civis romanus esset et quia alligasset eum

Straightaway therefore those who were about to examine him withdrew from him. And the chief captain was also afraid when he learned that he was a Roman, and because he was who bound him.

30 postera autem die volens scire diligentius qua ex causa accusaretur a Iudaeis solvit eum et iussit sacerdotes convenire et omne concilium et producens Paulum statuit inter illos

But on the morrow, wanting to know the certainty of why he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to come. And having brought Paul down, he set him before them.