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

¹“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”

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

²When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

⁷I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

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

⁸I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’

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

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.

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.'

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.’

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

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.

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

¹²One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

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

¹³came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him.

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

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.

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

¹⁵For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

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

¹⁶Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

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

¹⁷“It happened that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

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

¹⁸and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’

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

¹⁹I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

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

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.’

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

²¹“He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”

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

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!”

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

²³As they cried out, and threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,

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

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.

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?'

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?”

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

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!”

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

²⁷The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

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

²⁸The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”

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.

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.

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.

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.