¹ايها الرجال الاخوة والآباء اسمعوا احتجاجي الآن لديكم‎.

¹Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence which I now make unto you.

²‎فلما سمعوا انه ينادي لهم باللغة العبرانية اعطوا سكوتا احرى‎. ‎فقال

²And when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, they were the more quiet: and he saith,

³انا رجل يهودي ولدت في طرسوس كيليكية ولكن ربيت في هذه المدينة مؤدبا عند رجلي غمالائيل على تحقيق الناموس الابوي وكنت غيورا للّه كما انتم جميعكم اليوم‎.

³I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day:

⁴‎واضطهدت هذا الطريق حتى الموت مقيدا ومسلما الى السجون رجالا ونساء‎.

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

⁵‎كما يشهد لي ايضا رئيس الكهنة وجميع المشيخة الذين اذ اخذت ايضا منهم رسائل للاخوة الى دمشق ذهبت لآتي بالذين هناك الى اورشليم مقيدين لكي يعاقبوا‎.

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 journeyed to Damascus to bring them also that were there unto Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

⁶‎فحدث لي وانا ذاهب ومتقرّب الى دمشق انه نحو نصف النهار بغتة ابرق حولي من السماء نور عظيم‎.

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

⁷‎فسقطت على الارض وسمعت صوتا قائلا لي شاول شاول لماذا تضطهدني‎.

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

⁸‎فاجبت من انت يا سيد. فقال لي انا يسوع الناصري الذي انت تضطهده.

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

⁹والذين كانوا معي نظروا النور وارتعبوا ولكنهم لم يسمعوا صوت الذي كلمني‎.

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

¹⁰‎فقلت ماذا افعل يا رب. فقال لي الرب قم واذهب الى دمشق وهناك يقال لك عن جميع ما ترتب لك ان تفعل‎.

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.

¹¹‎واذ كنت لا ابصر من اجل بهاء ذلك النور اقتادني بيدي الذين كانوا معي فجئت الى دمشق

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.

¹²ثم ان حنانيا رجلا تقيا حسب الناموس ومشهودا له من جميع اليهود السكان

¹²And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt there,

¹³أتى اليّ ووقف وقال لي ايها الاخ شاول ابصر. ففي تلك الساعة نظرت اليه

¹³came unto me, and standing by me said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And in that very hour I looked up on him.

¹⁴فقال. اله آبائنا انتخبك لتعلم مشيئته وتبصر البار وتسمع صوتا من فمه‎.

¹⁴And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

¹⁵‎لانك ستكون له شاهدا لجميع الناس بما رايت وسمعت‎.

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

¹⁶‎والآن لماذا تتوانى. قم واعتمد واغسل خطاياك داعيا باسم الرب

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

¹⁷وحدث لي بعدما رجعت الى اورشليم وكنت اصلّي في الهيكل اني حصلت في غيبة

¹⁷And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

¹⁸فرأيته قائلا لي اسرع واخرج عاجلا من اورشليم لانهم لا يقبلون شهادتك عني‎.

¹⁸and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.

¹⁹‎فقلت يا رب هم يعلمون اني كنت احبس واضرب في كل مجمع الذين يؤمنون بك‎.

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

²⁰‎وحين سفك دم استفانوس شهيدك كنت انا واقفا وراضيا بقتله وحافظا ثياب الذين قتلوه‎.

²⁰and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them that slew him.

²¹‎فقال لي اذهب فاني سارسلك الى الامم بعيدا

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

²²فسمعوا له حتى هذه الكلمة ثم رفعوا اصواتهم قائلين خذ مثل هذا من الارض لانه كان لا يجوز ان يعيش‎.

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

²³‎واذ كانوا يصيحون ويطرحون ثيابهم ويرمون غبارا الى الجو

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

²⁴أمر الامير ان يذهب به الى المعسكر قائلا ان يفحص بضربات ليعلم لاي سبب كانوا يصرخون عليه هكذا

²⁴the chief captain commanded him be brought into the castle, bidding that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they so shouted against him.

²⁵فلما مدوه للسياط قال بولس لقائد المئة الواقف أيجوز لكم ان تجلدوا انسانا رومانيا غير مقضي عليه‎.

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

²⁶‎فاذ سمع قائد المئة ذهب الى الامير واخبره قائلا انظر ماذا انت مزمع ان تفعل. لان هذا الرجل روماني‎.

²⁶And when the centurion heard it, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, What art thou about to do? for this man is a Roman.

²⁷‎فجاء الامير وقال له قل لي. انت روماني. فقال نعم‎.

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

²⁸‎فاجاب الامير اما انا فبمبلغ كبير اقتنيت هذه الرعوية. فقال بولس اما انا فقد ولدت فيها‎.

²⁸And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship. And Paul said, But I am [a Roman] born.

²⁹‎وللوقت تنحى عنه الذين كانوا مزمعين ان يفحصوه واختشى الامير لما علم انه روماني ولانه قد قيده

²⁹They then that were about to examine him straightway departed from him: and the chief captain also was afraid when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

³⁰وفي الغد اذ كان يريد ان يعلم اليقين لماذا يشتكي اليهود عليه حله من الرباط وامر ان يحضر رؤساء الكهنة وكل مجمعهم فاحدر بولس واقامه لديهم

³⁰But on the morrow, desiring to know the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.