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

¹Brāļi un tēvi, uzklausiet tagad aizstāvēšanos, kādu es jums teikšu!

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

²Kad tie dzirdēja, ka viņš tos uzrunā ebreju valodā, tie kļuva vēl klusāki,

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.

³Un viņš sacīja: Es esmu jūds, dzimis Tarsā, Kilikijā, bet uzaudzināts šinī pilsētā, izglītojies pie Gamaliēla kājām saskaņā ar tēvu bauslības patiesībām, bauslības cīnītājs, kādi arī jūs šodien visi esat;

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

⁴Un šo mācību esmu vajājis līdz nāvei, saistīdams un nododams cietumā vīriešus un sievietes,

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.

⁵Kā to man apliecina augstais priesteris un visi vecākie, no kuriem, saņēmis vēstules, gāju pie brāļiem uz Damasku, lai no turienes tos sasaistītus vestu uz Jeruzalemi un sodītu.

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.

⁶Bet notika, ka, man ejot un dienas vidū tuvojoties Damaskai, piepeši mani apspīdēja spilgta gaisma no debesīm.

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

⁷Un es nokritu zemē un dzirdēju balsi man sakām: Saul, Saul, kāpēc tu mani vajā?

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

⁸Bet es atbildēju: Kungs, kas tu esi? Un Viņš sacīja man: Es esmu Jēzus Nācarietis, ko tu vajā.

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.

⁹Un tie, kas bija kopā ar mani, gaismu gan redzēja, bet Viņa balsi, kas ar mani runāja, nedzirdēja.

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.

¹⁰Es sacīju: Kungs, kas man jādara? Bet Kungs sacīja man: Celies, ej uz Damasku, un tur tev pateiks visu, kas tev jādara.

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.

¹¹Un tā kā es no tās gaismas spilgtuma nevarēju vairs redzēt, pavadoņi veda mani aiz rokas, un tā es nonācu Damaskā.

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

¹²Tur Ananija, bauslības vīrs, par ko liecina visi tur dzīvojošie jūdi,

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

¹³Atnāca un, nostājies pie manis, sacīja man: Brāli Saul, topi redzīgs! Un es tanī pat stundā uzlūkoju viņu,

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.

¹⁴Bet viņš sacīja: Mūsu tēvu Dievs tevi izredzējis, lai tu atzītu Viņa prātu un redzētu Taisnīgo, un dzirdētu balsi no Viņa mutes;

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

¹⁵Jo tu visiem ļaudīm liecināsi par Viņu to, ko redzēji un dzirdēji.

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

¹⁶Un ko tagad vēl kavējies? Celies un pieņem kristību, un, Viņa vārdu piesaucis, nomazgā savus grēkus!

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;

¹⁷Bet notika, kad atgriezos Jeruzalemē un svētnīcā lūdzu Dievu, ka es tiku garā aizrauts;

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

¹⁸Un es redzēju Viņu man sakām: Steidzies un žigli izej no Jeruzalemes, jo viņi tavu liecību par mani nepieņems.

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

¹⁹Un es sacīju: Kungs, viņi zina, ka es tos, kas uz Tevi ticēja, metu cietumā un šaustīju sinagogās.

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.

²⁰Un kad Tava liecinieka Stefana asinis tika izlietas, es biju klāt un piekritu tam, un sargāju drēbes tiem, kas viņu nonāvēja.

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

²¹Un Viņš man sacīja: Ej, jo es tevi sūtīšu tālumā starp pagāniem.

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.

²²Uzklausījuši viņu līdz šiem vārdiem, tie pacēla savas balsis, sacīdami: Nost tādu no šīs zemes, jo tāds nedrīkst dzīvot!

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

²³Bet, kad tie kliedza un nometa savas drēbes, un svieda putekļus gaisā,

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.

²⁴Priekšnieks lika viņu ievest mītnē, šaustīt rīkstēm un mocīt viņu, lai uzzinātu, kāda iemesla dēļ tie tā kliedza uz viņu.

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?

²⁵Un kad tie sasēja viņu siksnām, Pāvils sacīja virsniekam, kas stāvēja viņam klāt: Vai jums atļauts šaustīt nenotiesātu Romas pilsoni?

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

²⁶To dzirdējis, virsnieks aizgāja pie priekšnieka un paziņoja viņam, sacīdams: Ko tu gribi darīt? Šis cilvēks taču ir Romas pilsonis.

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

²⁷Tad priekšnieks, piegājis, jautāja viņam: Saki man, vai tu esi romietis? Un viņš sacīja: Jā!

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

²⁸Tad priekšnieks atbildēja: Es šo pilsonību ieguvu par augstu maksu. Un Pāvils sacīja: Bet es tāds jau esmu dzimis.

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.

²⁹Tad tūdaļ aizgāja no viņa tie, kas taisījās viņu mocīt. Bet priekšnieks, uzzinājis, ka viņš ir Romas pilsonis, izbijās, jo bija viņu saistījis.

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.

³⁰Bet nākošajā dienā, gribēdams skaidrāk zināt, kāpēc jūdi viņu apsūdz, viņš to atbrīvoja un, pavēlējis sanākt priesteriem un visai augstajai tiesai, izveda Pāvilu un nostādīja viņu starp tiem.