1„Milí bratia a otcovia! Vypočujte, prosím, čo by som rád povedal na svoju obhajobu.“2Keď počuli, že sa im prihovoril v ich rodnom jazyku, nastalo ešte väčšie ticho.3„Som Žid, narodil som sa v Tarze v Cilícii, ale vychovaný som bol tu v Jeruzaleme. Ako žiak známeho učenca Gamaliela som sa naučil zachovávať zákony našich otcov. Horlivo som sa usiloval dodržiavať Božie príkazy, tak ako to robíte vy dnes.4Preto som až na smrť nenávidel nové učenie Ježiša Krista a jeho vyznávačov, mužov aj ženy som dával zatýkať a väzniť.5To mi môže dosvedčiť veľkňaz aj celá najvyššia rada. Raz som si od nej dokonca vyžiadal odporúčajúce listy pre židovskú obec v Damasku. Vybral som sa ta, aby som tamojších stúpencov novej viery pozatýkal, priviedol ich v putách do Jeruzalema a dal ich potrestať.6No počujte, čo sa stalo. Keď som sa už blížil k Damasku – bolo práve poludnie – zrazu sa okolo mňa rozžiarilo oslepujúce svetlo z neba.7Padol som na zem a počul som hlas: ‚Saul, Saul, prečo ma prenasleduješ?‘8Ozval som sa:‚Kto si, Pane?‘ Odpovedal mi:‚Som Ježiš Nazaretský, ktorého ty prenasleduješ.‘9Moji sprievodcovia boli takisto oslepení tým svetlom, ale nepočuli, že niekto ku mne prehovoril.10Spýtal som sa:‚Čo mám robiť, Pane?‘ Ježiš mi povedal:‚Vstaň! Choď do Damasku, a tam sa dozvieš, aké poslanie ti Boh zveruje.‘11Jas toho svetla ma celkom oslepil, preto ma museli moji druhovia vziať za ruku a doviesť až do Damasku.12Tam žil istý muž, ktorý sa volal Ananiáš. Bol veľmi zbožný a usiloval sa svedomite dodržiavať všetky Božie príkazy, takže sa tešil dobrej povesti u všetkých Židov v Damasku.13Ten ma vyhľadal a povedal mi:‚Milý brat Saul, opäť budeš vidieť.‘ V tej chvíli sa mi vrátil zrak a uvidel som ho.14A ešte mi povedal:‚Boh našich otcov si ťa vyvolil, aby si poznal jeho vôľu, videl Mesiáša a počul ho hovoriť.15Staneš sa jeho svedkom pred celým svetom a všade budeš rozprávať, čo si videl a počul.16Neváhaj teda, daj sa pokrstiť na znamenie, že si očistený od hriechov, a vyznávaj, že je tvojím Pánom.‘17Vrátil som sa naspäť do Jeruzalema. Jedného dňa som sa modlil v chráme a tu sa mi znova zjavil Pán18a povedal mi:‚Čo najrýchlejšie odíď z Jeruzalema, lebo nik neuverí tomu, čo budeš o mne hovoriť.‘19Odporoval som:‚Pane, oni predsa vedia, že práve ja som dával zatvárať do žalára a biť v synagógach tých, ktorí v teba uverili.20A keď tiekla krv tvojho svedka Štefana, aj ja som bol pri tom, schvaľoval som to a strážil som šaty tým, ktorí ho kameňovali.‘21Ale Pán mi povedal:‚Odíď z Jeruzalema, lebo ťa chcem poslať ďaleko k pohanom.‘ “22Až do tejto chvíle ho dav pozorne počúval, ale zmienka o pohanoch ich znova podráždila. Začali strhávať zo seba šaty, hádzať doňho hrste hliny23a kričali: „Preč s tým zradcom. Nesmie zostať nažive!“24Veliteľ dal Pavla rýchlo odviesť do pevnosti, rozkázal, aby ho zbičovali a vypočuli. Chcel sa dozvedieť, prečo sa dav naňho tak rozzúril.25Keď ho už priviazali, obrátil sa Pavol na veliaceho dôstojníka: „Smiete bičovať rímskeho občana a navyše bez súdneho vyšetrenia?“26Dôstojník zašiel za veliteľom a hlásil mu to: „Čo chceš robiť? Ten človek je predsa rímsky občan!“27Veliteľ pristúpil k Pavlovi a spýtal sa ho: „Je pravda, že si rímsky občan?“ Odpovedal: „Áno, som.“28Veliteľ namietol: „Aj ja som. No ja som za to občianske právo zaplatil ťažké peniaze!“ – „A ja som sa ako rímsky občan už narodil.“29Tu sa vojaci, ktorí ho mali biť a vypočúvať, ihneď stiahli. Aj veliteľ sa preľakol, keď sa dozvedel, že Pavol je rímsky občan a on ho dal spútať.30Veliteľ chcel zistiť, z čoho Židia vlastne Pavla obviňujú. Na druhý deň ho dal vyviesť z väzenia a rozkázal, aby sa zišli veľkňazi i celá rada.
English Standard Version
1“Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”2And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language,* they became even more quiet. And he said:3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel* according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,5as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.6“As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.7And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’8And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’9Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand* the voice of the one who was speaking to me.10And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’11And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.12“And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,13came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him.14And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth;15for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.16And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’17“When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance18and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’19And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.20And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’21And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
Paul and the Roman Tribune
22Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.”23And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,24the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this.25But when they had stretched him out for the whips,* Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?”26When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”27So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.”28The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.”29So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
Paul Before the Council
30But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.
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