¹Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.

¹'Mehed, vennad ja isad, kuulake nüüd, mida ma teile enese kaitseks räägin!'

²(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

²Kui nad kuulsid, et ta peab neile kõnet heebrea keeles, jäid nad veel rahulikumaks. Ja Paulus ütles:

³I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

³'Mina olen Juuda mees, sündinud Tarsoses Kiliikiamaal ja üles kasvatatud siinsamas linnas, Gamalieli jalgade ees, õpetatud täpselt esiisade Seadust mööda, olles innukas Jumala nõudja, nii nagu teie kõik tänapäeval olete.

⁴And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

⁴Sellisena ma kiusasin surmani taga usuteed, pannes ahelaisse ja toimetades vanglasse nii mehi kui naisi.

⁵As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

⁵Nõnda võivad mu kohta tunnistada ka ülempreester ja vanemad, kelle käest ma sain kirju viimiseks nende vendade kätte Damaskusesse. Ja ma kavatsesin ka sealseid usklikke tuua aheldatult Jeruusalemma, et neid karistataks.

⁶And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

⁶Aga sündis, kui ma olin teel ja lähenesin Damaskusele, et lõuna ajal välgatas äkitselt mu ümber ere valgus taevast.

⁷And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

⁷Ma kukkusin maha ja kuulsin üht häält mulle ütlevat: 'Saul, Saul, miks sa mind taga kiusad?'

⁸And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

⁸Mina aga vastasin: 'Kes sa oled, isand?' Tema ütles mulle: 'Mina olen Jeesus Naatsaretlane, keda sina taga kiusad!'

⁹And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

⁹Minu kaaslased nägid küll valgust, aga nad ei kuulnud tema häält, kes minuga rääkis.

¹⁰And I said, What shall I do, LORD? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

¹⁰Siis ma ütlesin: 'Mis ma pean tegema, Issand?' Issand aga ütles mulle: 'Tõuse püsti, mine Damaskusesse, seal öeldakse sulle kõik, mis sul on määratud teha.'

¹¹And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

¹¹Aga kuna ma selle valguse kirkuse tõttu ei näinud, talutasid mu kaaslased mind kättpidi, ja ma jõudsin Damaskusesse.

¹²And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

¹²Aga keegi Hananias, Seaduse järgi vaga mees, kel oli hea tunnistus kõigi sealsete juutide poolt,

¹³Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

¹³tuli minu juurde. Ta seisatas mu kõrval ja ütles: 'Vend Saul, näe jälle!' Ja selsamal hetkel ma nägin jälle ja vaatasin talle otsa.

¹⁴And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

¹⁴Tema aga ütles: 'Meie isade Jumal on su määranud tunnetama tema tahtmist ja nägema seda Õiget ning kuulma häält tema suust,

¹⁵For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

¹⁵sest sina saad tema tunnistajaks kõigile inimestele selles, mida sa oled näinud ja kuulnud.

¹⁶And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

¹⁶Ja mida sa nüüd ootad? Tõuse ja lase ennast ristida ning oma patud ära pesta, appi hüüdes tema nime!'

¹⁷And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

¹⁷Aga sündis, et kui ma tagasi pöördusin Jeruusalemma ja pühakojas palvetasin, olin ma nagu endast ära

¹⁸And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

¹⁸ja nägin teda mulle ütlevat: 'Tõtta ja mine kiiresti Jeruusalemmast ära, sest nad ei võta vastu sinu tunnistust minu kohta.'

¹⁹And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

¹⁹Ja mina ütlesin: 'Issand, nad ise ju teavad, et ma viisin vangi ja peksin sünagoogides neid, kes sinusse usuvad.

²⁰And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

²⁰Ja kui sinu tunnistaja Stefanose verd valati, seisin minagi seal juures ja kiitsin selle heaks ning valvasin nende rõivaid, kes ta hukkasid.'

²¹And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

²¹Ja tema ütles mulle: 'Mine, sest ma läkitan su kaugele paganate sekka!''

²²And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

²²Kuni selle sõnani nad kuulasid teda, siis aga tõstsid oma häält: 'Hukka niisugune ära maa pealt! Ta ei tohi ellu jääda!'

²³And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,

²³Ja kui nad karjusid ja rõivaid seljast kiskusid ning tolmu vastu taevast loopisid,

²⁴The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

²⁴käskis ülempealik Pauluse viia kindlusse ning ütles, et teda tuleb piitsa varal üle kuulata; sest ta tahtis teada, mispärast nad tema peale nõnda karjusid.

²⁵And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

²⁵Aga kui nad olid tema rihmutamiseks kinni sidunud, ütles Paulus pealikule, kes seal juures seisis: 'Kas teie tohite Rooma kodanikku piitsaga peksta ja pealegi ilma kohtuotsuseta?'

²⁶When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

²⁶Kui pealik seda kuulis, läks ta ja teatas ülempealikule: 'Vaata ette, mida sa teed! See inimene on ju Rooma kodanik.'

²⁷Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

²⁷Siis tuli ülempealik Pauluse juurde ning küsis: 'Ütle mulle, kas sa oled Rooma kodanik?' Tema ütles: 'Olen küll.'

²⁸And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.

²⁸Ülempealik vastas: 'Mina olen endale Rooma kodakondsuse hankinud suure raha eest.' Paulus aga ütles: 'Ent mina olen sellesse sündinud.'

²⁹Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

²⁹Siis jätsid ülekuulajad ta kohe rahule. Ülempealik lõi aga kartma, kui ta sai teada, et Paulus on Rooma kodanik ja et ta oli tema ahelaisse pannud.

³⁰On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

³⁰Aga teisel päeval, soovides selgemalt teada saada, milles juudid Paulust süüdistavad, päästis ülempealik ta ahelatest valla ja käskis ülempreestreid ja kogu Suurkohtu kokku tulla ning viis Pauluse nende ette.