Dzieje 22
1 Mężowie bracia i ojcowie, słuchajcie mojej obrony, jaką teraz do was kieruję.
Paul said, “[Jewish] elders and my other fellow Jews, listen to me now while I reply to [those who are accusing me]!”
2 Gdy usłyszeli, że mówił do nich po hebrajsku, jeszcze bardziej się uciszyli. A on powiedział:
When the crowd of people heard Paul speaking to them in [their own] Hebrew language, they became even more quiet and really listened. Then Paul said to them,
3 Jestem Żydem, urodzonym w Tarsie w Cylicji, lecz wychowanym w tym mieście, u stóp Gamaliela, starannie wykształconym w prawie ojczystym i byłem gorliwym względem Boga jak i wy wszyscy dzisiaj.
“I am a Jew, [as are all of you]. I was born in Tarsus [city], in Cilicia [province], but I grew up here in Jerusalem. [When I was young, for many years] I studied the laws [that Moses gave to our ancestors]. I was taught by [the famous teacher] Gamaliel [MTY] {[The famous teacher] Gamaliel taught [MTY] me}. [I have] carefully [obeyed those laws, because] I have wanted to obey God. I [am sure that] many of you also carefully obey [those laws].
4 Prześladowałem tę drogę aż na śmierć, wiążąc i wtrącając do więzienia zarówno mężczyzn, jak i kobiety;
[That is why] I previously persecuted those who believe the message [that people call] the Way [that Jesus taught. I continually looked for ways] to kill [them. Whenever I found] men or women [who believed that message], I [commanded that] they should be seized and thrown {[people to] seize them and throw them} into jail.
5 Czego mi świadkiem jest najwyższy kapłan oraz wszyscy starsi. Od nich też otrzymałem listy do braci i pojechałem do Damaszku, aby tych, którzy tam byli, przyprowadzić związanych do Jerozolimy, żeby zostali ukarani.
The supreme priest knows this, and so do the [other respected men who belong to our Jewish] Council. They gave me letters to [take to] their fellow Jews in Damascus [city. By means of those letters, they authorized me to] go to there and find people who believed in [Jesus. They had written in the letters that I was to bring those people] as prisoners to Jerusalem, so that they would be punished here {[the leaders here] could punish them}. [So I went on my way to Damascus].
6 A gdy byłem w drodze i zbliżałem się do Damaszku około południa, nagle ogarnęła mnie wielka światłość z nieba.
About noon, my companions and I were getting near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed all around me.
7 I upadłem na ziemię, i usłyszałem głos, który mówił do mnie: Saulu, Saulu, dlaczego mnie prześladujesz?
[The light was so bright that] I fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice [of someone] speaking to me [from up in the sky. The one who was speaking to me said], ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you [(sg)] do things to harm me?’
8 A ja odpowiedziałem: Kim jesteś, Panie? I powiedział do mnie: Ja jestem Jezus z Nazaretu, którego ty prześladujesz.
I answered, ‘Who are you?’ He replied, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth. I [am the one] whom you [(sg)] are harming [by doing things to harm my followers].’
9 A ci, którzy byli ze mną, wprawdzie widzieli światłość i przestraszyli się, ale głosu tego, który do mnie mówił, nie słyszeli.
The men who were [traveling] with me saw the [very bright] light, [and they heard a voice], but they did not understand what the voice said to me.
10 Zapytałem: Co mam robić, Panie? A Pan powiedział do mnie: Wstań i idź do Damaszku, a tam ci powiedzą o wszystkim, co postanowiono, abyś uczynił.
Then I asked, ‘Lord, what [do you want] me to do?’ The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus! [A man] there will tell you [(sg)] all that I have planned for you to do.’
11 A ponieważ zaniewidziałem z powodu blasku tej światłości, przyszedłem do Damaszku prowadzony za rękę przez tych, którzy byli ze mną.
[After that, I could not see], because the [very bright] light had caused me to become blind. So my companions took me by the hand and led me until [we(exc) arrived] in Damascus.
12 Tam niejaki Ananiasz, człowiek pobożny według prawa, mający [dobre] świadectwo u wszystkich Żydów, którzy [tam] mieszkali;
[A couple of days] later, a man whose name was Ananias came to [see] me. He was a man who [greatly respected God and] carefully obeyed [our Jewish] laws. All the Jews living in Damascus said good things about him.
13 Przyszedł, podszedł do mnie i powiedział: Bracie Saulu, przejrzyj! I w tej chwili spojrzałem na niego.
He came and stood beside me and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see [again]!’ Instantly I could see! I saw Ananias [standing there beside me].
14 A on powiedział: Bóg naszych ojców wybrał cię, żebyś poznał jego wolę, oglądał Sprawiedliwego i słuchał głosu z jego ust.
Then he said: ‘The God whom [we(inc) worship and] whom our ancestors [worshipped] has chosen you and will show you what he wants [you to do. He has allowed you] to see the righteous one, [the Messiah], and you have heard him speaking [to you].
15 Będziesz mu bowiem wobec wszystkich ludzi świadkiem tego, co widziałeś i słyszałeś.
He wants you to tell people everywhere what you have seen and heard [from him].
16 Dlaczego teraz zwlekasz? Wstań, ochrzcij się i obmyj swoje grzechy, wzywając imienia Pana.
So now (do not delay!/why delay?) [RHQ] Stand up, let [me] baptize you, and by praying to the Lord [Jesus ask God] to forgive you [(sg)] for your sins!’”
17 A gdy wróciłem do Jerozolimy i modliłem się w świątyni, wpadłem w zachwycenie.
“Later, I returned to Jerusalem. [One day] I went to the Temple courtyard. While I was praying there, I saw a vision [in which]
18 I widziałem go, jak mówił do mnie: Pospiesz się i wyjdź szybko z Jerozolimy, ponieważ nie przyjmą twego świadectwa o mnie.
I saw the Lord speaking to me. He said to me, ‘[Do not stay here]! Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people [here] will not (believe/listen to) what you [(sg)] tell [them] about me!’
19 A ja odpowiedziałem: Panie, oni wiedzą, że wtrącałem do więzienia i biczowałem w synagogach tych, którzy w ciebie wierzyli.
But I [protested and] said to him, ‘Lord, they know that I went to many of our meeting houses looking for people who believe in you. I was putting in jail those [whom I found] who believed in you, and I was even beating them.
20 A kiedy przelewano krew Szczepana, twojego świadka, ja też byłem przy tym i zgodziłem się na jego zabicie, i pilnowałem szat tych, którzy go zabili.
[They remember that] when Stephen was killed [MTY] {when people killed [MTY] Stephen} because he told people about you, I stood there [watching it all] and approving [what they were doing]. I [even] guarded the outer garments that those who were murdering him [had thrown aside. So if I stay here, the fact that I have changed how I think about you will surely impress those leaders of our people].’
21 I powiedział mi: Idź, bo ja cię poślę daleko, do pogan.
But the Lord said to me, ‘No, [do not stay here]! Leave [Jerusalem, because] I am going to send you [(sg)] far away [from here] to non-Jewish people!’”
22 Słuchali go aż do tego słowa, [potem] podnieśli swój głos, mówiąc: Zgładź z ziemi takiego [człowieka], bo nie godzi się, żeby żył!
The people listened [quietly] to what Paul was saying until [he mentioned the Lord sending him to non-Jewish people]. Then they began shouting [angrily], “Kill him! [He does not deserve to live any longer]!” [They said that because they could not believe that God would save anyone except Jews].
23 A gdy oni krzyczeli, rozrzucali szaty i ciskali proch w powietrze;
While they continued shouting, [“Kill him!”] they took off their cloaks and threw dust into the air, [which showed how angry they were].
24 Dowódca rozkazał go zaprowadzić do twierdzy i polecił przesłuchać go z [zastosowaniem] biczowania, żeby się dowiedzieć, dlaczego tak przeciwko niemu krzyczano.
So the commander [commanded] that Paul be taken {[soldiers] to take Paul} into the barracks. He told [the soldiers] that they should strike Paul with a whip [that had pieces of bone/metal on the end of it], in order to make him tell what he had done that made the Jews shout so angrily. [So the soldiers took Paul into the barracks].
25 A gdy go związano, aby go ubiczować, Paweł powiedział do setnika, który stał obok: Czy wolno wam biczować Rzymianina i to bez sądu?
Then they stretched his arms out [and tied them] so that they could whip him [on his back. But] Paul said to the officer who was standing nearby [watching], “[You(sg) should think carefully about this]! You will certainly be [RHQ] acting unlawfully if you whip me, a Roman [citizen whom] no [one has put on trial and] condemned!”
26 Kiedy setnik to usłyszał, podszedł do dowódcy i powiedział mu: Uważaj, co robisz, bo ten człowiek jest Rzymianinem.
When the officer heard that, he went to the commander and reported it to him. He said [to the commander], “This man is a Roman [citizen] (Surely you would not [command us to whip him]!/Do you really want [us to whip him]?) [RHQ]”
27 Dowódca podszedł i zapytał go: Powiedz mi, czy ty jesteś Rzymianinem? A on odpowiedział: Tak.
The commander [was surprised when he heard that. He himself] went [into the barracks] and said to Paul, “Tell me, are you [(sg) really] a Roman [citizen]?” Paul answered, “Yes, I [am].”
28 I powiedział dowódca: Ja kupiłem to obywatelstwo za wielką sumę. Paweł zaś rzekł: A ja mam [je] od urodzenia.
Then the commander said, “[I am also a Roman citizen]. I paid a lot of money to become a [Roman] citizen.” Paul said, “But I was born a [Roman] citizen, [so I did not need to pay anything].”
29 I natychmiast odstąpili od niego ci, którzy mieli go przesłuchać. Nawet i dowódca przestraszył się, kiedy się dowiedział, że jest Rzymianinem, a on kazał go związać.
The soldiers [were about to whip Paul and to ask him questions about what he had done. But when they heard what Paul said, they] left him immediately. The commander also became afraid, because he realized that Paul was a Roman [citizen] and that he had [illegally commanded soldiers to] tie up Paul’s [hands].
30 A nazajutrz, chcąc się dokładnie dowiedzieć, o co Żydzi go oskarżali, uwolnił go z więzów i rozkazał zebrać się naczelnym kapłanom i całej Radzie, przyprowadził Pawła i stawił go przed nimi.
[The commander still] wanted to know exactly why the Jews were accusing Paul. So the next day he [told the soldiers to] take the chains off Paul. He also summoned the chief priests and the [other Jewish] Council [members]. Then he took Paul [to where the Council was meeting] and [commanded] him to stand before them.
