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.
1 «Padres y hermanos míos, escuchen ahora lo que tengo que decir en mi defensa.»
2 Al oír que les hablaba en lengua aramea, todos guardaron silencio. Pablo siguió diciendo:
3 «Yo soy judío. Nací en Tarso de Cilicia, pero me criaron en esta ciudad, donde Gamaliel me instruyó con total apego a la ley de nuestros antepasados. El celo por Dios que ustedes sienten hoy, también lo sentí yo,
4 pues perseguí a muerte a los de este Camino. Yo aprehendía y llevaba a las cárceles a hombres y mujeres;
5 el sumo sacerdote y todos los ancianos me dieron cartas para apresar a los hermanos; ellos son testigos de que fui a Damasco para aprehender a los creyentes que estuvieran allí, y llevarlos a Jerusalén para castigarlos.
Pablo relata su conversión
(Hch 9.1-19Hch 26.12-18)6 »Pero sucedió que en el camino, ya cerca de Damasco y como a mediodía, de repente me rodeó una intensa luz del cielo.
7 Caí al suelo, y entonces oí una voz que me decía: “Saulo, Saulo, ¿por qué me persigues?”
8 Yo respondí: “¿Quién eres, Señor?” Y la voz me contestó: “Yo soy Jesús de Nazaret, a quien tú persigues.”
9 Los que me acompañaban vieron la luz, y se espantaron; pero no escucharon la voz del que me hablaba.
10 Entonces dije: “Señor, ¿qué debo hacer?” Y el Señor me dijo: “Levántate, y ve a Damasco; allí se te dirá todo lo que se ha determinado que hagas.”
11 Como yo no podía ver por causa de esa luz tan potente, los que me acompañaban me llevaron de la mano, y así llegué a Damasco.
12 »Allí vivía Ananías, un hombre piadoso y apegado a la ley, de quien todos los judíos que allí vivían hablaban bien.
13 Ananías vino, se me acercó y me dijo: “Hermano Saulo, ¡recibe la vista!” Y en ese mismo instante recobré la vista y pude verlo.
14 Y él me dijo: “El Dios de nuestros padres te ha escogido para que conozcas su voluntad, y veas al Justo y escuches de sus propios labios su palabra,
15 pues tú serás su testigo ante todo el mundo de esto que has visto y oído.
16 ¿Qué esperas, entonces? ¡Levántate y bautízate, e invoca su nombre, para que quedes limpio de tus pecados!”
Pablo es enviado a los no judíos
17 »Cuando volví a Jerusalén, mientras oraba yo en el templo, entré en éxtasis.
18 Vi entonces al Señor, y escuché que me decía: “Date prisa, y sal pronto de Jerusalén, porque no van a creer lo que les digas de mí.”
19 Yo le respondí: “Señor, ellos saben que yo andaba por todas las sinagogas encarcelando y azotando a los que creían en ti.
20 Cuando corría la sangre de Esteban, tu testigo, yo estaba allí, aprobando su muerte con mi presencia y cuidando la ropa de quienes lo mataron.”
21 Pero el Señor me dijo: “Anda, que voy a enviarte lejos, a los que no son judíos.”»
Pablo en manos del tribuno
22 Hasta aquí lo escucharon. Entonces alzaron la voz y gritaron: «¡Mátalo! ¡Bórralo de este mundo! ¡Gente así no merece vivir!»
23 Y se rasgaban la ropa y lanzaban polvo al aire, y no dejaban de gritar.
24 Entonces el tribuno mandó que llevaran a Pablo a la fortaleza, con órdenes de que lo interrogaran y lo azotaran para saber por qué protestaban contra él.
25 Cuando lo estaban atando con correas, Pablo le preguntó al centurión allí presente: «¿Acaso está permitido azotar a un ciudadano romano sin que antes se le juzgue?»
26 Cuando el centurión oyó esto, fue con el tribuno y le dijo: «¿Y ahora qué vas a hacer? ¡Este hombre es ciudadano romano!»
27 Fue entonces el tribuno y le preguntó: «Dime, ¿en verdad eres ciudadano romano?» Y como Pablo respondió que sí,
28 el tribuno se jactó: «¡A mí me costó mucho dinero adquirir la ciudadanía!» Pero Pablo le respondió: «Yo soy romano de nacimiento.»
29 Al saber que Pablo era ciudadano romano, los que iban a interrogarlo se apartaron de él, y el tribuno hizo lo mismo, pues tuvo miedo de haber ordenado que lo interrogaran.
Pablo ante el concilio
30 Al día siguiente, el tribuno quiso saber por qué realmente lo acusaban los judíos, así que ordenó que le quitaran las cadenas, y también que se presentaran los principales sacerdotes y el concilio. Luego sacó a Pablo, y lo hizo comparecer ante ellos.