Hechos 22
1 VARONES hermanos y padres, oid la razón que ahora os doy.
Paul said, “[Jewish] elders and my other fellow Jews, listen to me now while I reply to [those who are accusing me]!”
2 (Y como oyeron que les hablaba en lengua hebrea, guardaron más silencio.) Y dijo:
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 Yo de cierto soy Judío, nacido en Tarso de Cilicia, mas criado en esta ciudad á los pies de Gamaliel, enseñado conforme á la verdad de la ley de la patria, celoso de Dios, como todos vosotros sois hoy.
“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 Que he perseguido este camino hasta la muerte, prendiendo y entregando en cárceles hombres y mujeres:
[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 Como también el príncipe de los sacerdotes me es testigo, y todos los ancianos; de los cuales también tomando letras á los hermanos, iba á Damasco para traer presos á Jerusalem aun á los que estuviesen allí, para que fuesen castigados.
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 Mas aconteció que yendo yo, y llegando cerca de Damasco, como á medio día, de repente me rodeó mucha luz del cielo:
About noon, my companions and I were getting near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed all around me.
7 Y caí en el suelo, y oí una voz que me decía: Saulo, Saulo, ¿por qué me persigues?
[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 Yo entonces respondí: ¿Quién eres, Señor? Y me dijo: Yo soy Jesús de Nazaret, á quien tú persigues.
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 Y los que estaban conmigo vieron á la verdad la luz, y se espantaron; mas no oyeron la voz del que hablaba conmigo.
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 Y dije: ¿Qué haré, Señor? Y el Señor me dijo: Levántate, y ve á Damasco, y allí te será dicho todo lo que te está señalado hacer.
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 Y como yo no viese por causa de la claridad de la luz, llevado de la mano por los que estaban conmigo, vine á Damasco.
[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 Entonces un Ananías, varón pío conforme á la ley, que tenía buen testimonio de todos los Judíos que [allí] moraban,
[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 Viniendo á mí, y acercándose, me dijo: Hermano Saulo, recibe la vista. Y yo en aquella hora le miré.
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 Y él dijo: El Dios de nuestros padres te ha predestinado para que conocieses su voluntad, y vieses á aquel Justo, y oyeses la voz de su boca.
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 Porque has de ser testigo suyo á todos los hombres, de lo que has visto y oído.
He wants you to tell people everywhere what you have seen and heard [from him].
16 Ahora pues, ¿por qué te detienes? Levántate, y bautízate, y lava tus pecados, invocando su nombre.
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 Y me aconteció, vuelto á Jerusalem, que orando en el templo, fuí arrebatado fuera de mí.
“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 Y le vi que me decía: Date prisa, y sal prestamente fuera de Jerusalem; porque no recibirán tu testimonio de mí.
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 Y yo dije: Señor, ellos saben que yo encerraba en cárcel, y hería por las sinagogas á los que creían en ti;
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 Y cuando se derramaba la sangre de Esteban tu testigo, yo también estaba presente, y consentía á su muerte, y guardaba las ropas de los que le mataban.
[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 Y me dijo: Ve, porque yo te tengo que enviar lejos á los Gentiles.
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 Y le oyeron hasta esta palabra: entonces alzaron la voz, diciendo: Quita de la tierra á un tal hombre, porque no conviene que viva.
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 Y dando ellos voces, y arrojando sus ropas y echando polvo al aire,
While they continued shouting, [“Kill him!”] they took off their cloaks and threw dust into the air, [which showed how angry they were].
24 Mandó el tribuno que le llevasen á la fortaleza, y ordenó que fuese examinado con azotes, para saber por qué causa clamaban así contra él.
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 Y como le ataron con correas, Pablo dijo al centurión que estaba presente: ¿Os es lícito azotar á un hombre Romano sin ser condenado?
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 Y como el centurión oyó [esto], fué y dió aviso al tribuno, diciendo: ¿Qué vas á hacer? porque este hombre es Romano.
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 Y viniendo el tribuno, le dijo: Dime, ¿eres tú Romano? Y él dijo: Sí.
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 Y respondió el tribuno: Yo con grande suma alcancé esta ciudadanía. Entonces Pablo dijo: Pero yo lo soy de nacimiento.
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 Así que, luego se apartaron de él los que le habían de atormentar: y aun el tribuno también tuvo temor, entendido que era Romano, por haberle atado.
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 Y al día siguiente, queriendo saber de cierto la causa por qué era acusado de los Judíos, le soltó de las prisiones, y mandó venir á los príncipes de los sacerdotes, y á todo su concilio: y sacando á Pablo, le presentó delante de ellos.
[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.
