1ايها الرجال الاخوة والآباء اسمعوا احتجاجي الآن لديكم.
1“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”
2فلما سمعوا انه ينادي لهم باللغة العبرانية اعطوا سكوتا احرى. فقال
2When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,
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.
3“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are this day.
4واضطهدت هذا الطريق حتى الموت مقيدا ومسلما الى السجون رجالا ونساء.
4I persecuted this Way to 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 and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.
6فحدث لي وانا ذاهب ومتقرّب الى دمشق انه نحو نصف النهار بغتة ابرق حولي من السماء نور عظيم.
6It happened that, as I made my journey, and came close to Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from the sky a great light around me.
7فسقطت على الارض وسمعت صوتا قائلا لي شاول شاول لماذا تضطهدني.
7I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
8فاجبت من انت يا سيد. فقال لي انا يسوع الناصري الذي انت تضطهده.
8I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’
9والذين كانوا معي نظروا النور وارتعبوا ولكنهم لم يسمعوا صوت الذي كلمني.
9“Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me.
10فقلت ماذا افعل يا رب. فقال لي الرب قم واذهب الى دمشق وهناك يقال لك عن جميع ما ترتب لك ان تفعل.
10I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’
11واذ كنت لا ابصر من اجل بهاء ذلك النور اقتادني بيدي الذين كانوا معي فجئت الى دمشق
11When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
12ثم ان حنانيا رجلا تقيا حسب الناموس ومشهودا له من جميع اليهود السكان
12One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,
13أتى اليّ ووقف وقال لي ايها الاخ شاول ابصر. ففي تلك الساعة نظرت اليه
13came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him.
14فقال. اله آبائنا انتخبك لتعلم مشيئته وتبصر البار وتسمع صوتا من فمه.
14He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you 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 you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
16والآن لماذا تتوانى. قم واعتمد واغسل خطاياك داعيا باسم الرب
16Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
17وحدث لي بعدما رجعت الى اورشليم وكنت اصلّي في الهيكل اني حصلت في غيبة
17“It happened 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 to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’
19فقلت يا رب هم يعلمون اني كنت احبس واضرب في كل مجمع الذين يؤمنون بك.
19I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.
20وحين سفك دم استفانوس شهيدك كنت انا واقفا وراضيا بقتله وحافظا ثياب الذين قتلوه.
20When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’
21فقال لي اذهب فاني سارسلك الى الامم بعيدا
21“He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”
22فسمعوا له حتى هذه الكلمة ثم رفعوا اصواتهم قائلين خذ مثل هذا من الارض لانه كان لا يجوز ان يعيش.
22They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice, and said, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”
23واذ كانوا يصيحون ويطرحون ثيابهم ويرمون غبارا الى الجو
23As they cried out, and threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,
24أمر الامير ان يذهب به الى المعسكر قائلا ان يفحص بضربات ليعلم لاي سبب كانوا يصرخون عليه هكذا
24the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that.
25فلما مدوه للسياط قال بولس لقائد المئة الواقف أيجوز لكم ان تجلدوا انسانا رومانيا غير مقضي عليه.
25When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”
26فاذ سمع قائد المئة ذهب الى الامير واخبره قائلا انظر ماذا انت مزمع ان تفعل. لان هذا الرجل روماني.
26When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!”
27فجاء الامير وقال له قل لي. انت روماني. فقال نعم.
27The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”
28فاجاب الامير اما انا فبمبلغ كبير اقتنيت هذه الرعوية. فقال بولس اما انا فقد ولدت فيها.
28The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”
29وللوقت تنحى عنه الذين كانوا مزمعين ان يفحصوه واختشى الامير لما علم انه روماني ولانه قد قيده
29Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, 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 next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.