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

¹Ry rahalahy sy ianareo ray henoy ny teny halahatro aminareo ankehitriny hanala tsiny ny tenako.

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

²Ary nony ren'ny olona fa teny Hebreo no nitenenany taminy, dia mainka nangina izy; ary hoy Paoly:

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.

³Izaho lehilahy Jiosy, teraka tany Tarsosy any Kilikia, fa teto amin'ity tanàna ity no nahabe ahy teo anilan'ny tongotr'i Gamaliela, dia nampianarina tsara ny lalàna avy tamin'ny razana aho, ary nazoto indrindra ho an'Andriamanitra tahaka anareo rehetra ankehitriny.

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

⁴Nanenjika izay nanaiky izany fampianarana izany aho hatramin'ny mahafaty azy aza, dia namatotra azy, na lahy na vavy, ka nanolotra azy hatao an-tranomaizina; [ Gr. lalana]

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.

⁵ary ny mpisoronabe sy ny loholona rehetra no vavolombeloko, sady izy no nandraisako taratasy ho amin'ny rahalahy, dia nankany Damaskosy aho, mba ho entiko am-patorana hankany Jerosalema koa izay hita teo, mba hampijalina.

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.

⁶Ary raha nandeha aho ka mby teo akaiky an'i Damaskosy, tamin'ilay antoandrobe iny, dia nisy mazava lehibe nanelatrelatra tampoka avy tany an-danitra manodidina ahy;

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

⁷dia lavo tamin'ny tany aho ka nandre feo nilaza tamiko hoe: Saoly, Saoly, nahoana ianao no manenjika Ahy?

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

⁸Ary izaho namaly hoe: Iza moa Hianao, Tompoko? Dia hoy Izy tamiko: Izaho no Jesosy avy any Nazareta, Izay enjehinao.

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.

⁹Ary izay niaraka tamiko dia nahita ny mazava; nefa tsy mba nahare ny feon'izay niteny tamiko izy.

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.’

¹⁰Ary hoy izaho: Tompoko, inona no hataoko? Dia hoy ny Tompo tamiko: Mitsangana, ka mandehana ho any Damaskosy; fa any no holazaina aminao izay rehetra voatendry hataonao.

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.

¹¹Ary raha tsy nahajery aho noho ny famirapiratan'izany mazava izany, dia notantanan'ireo niaraka tamiko aho, ka dia tonga tany Damaskosy.

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

¹²Ary ny lehilahy anankiray atao hoe Ananiasy, mpivavaka manaraka ny lalàna sady tsara laza teo amin'ny Jiosy rehetra izay nonina teo,

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

¹³dia nanatona ahy ary nitsangana ka nanao tamiko hoe: Ry Saoly rahalahy, mahirata. Ary tamin'izany ora izany dia nahiratra aho ka nahita azy.

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.

¹⁴Ary hoy izy: Andriamanitry ny razantsika efa nanendry anao hahafantatra ny sitrapony sy hahita ny Iray Marina ary hihaino ny teny aloaky ny vavany;

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

¹⁵fa ho vavolombelony amin'ny olona rehetra ianao ny amin'izay efa hitanao sy renao.

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

¹⁶Ary ankehitriny inona no mampijanona anao? Mitsangàna, miantsoa ny anarany, ary aoka hatao batisa ianao ka hosasana ho afaka amin'ny fahotanao.

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

¹⁷Ary rehefa tonga tany Jerosalema indray aho ka nivavaka teo an-kianjan'ny tempoly, dia azon-tsindrimandry

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

¹⁸ka nahita Azy milaza amiko hoe: Maladia ianao, ka mivoaha faingana an'i Jerosalema; fa tsy handray ny fanambaranao Ahy izy.

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

¹⁹Dia hoy izaho: Tompoko, izy ireo mahalala fa ny mino Anao dia nataoko tao an-tranomaizina sady nokapohiko tao amin'ny synagoga rehetra;

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.’

²⁰ary raha nalatsaka ny ran'i Stefana martioranao, izaho koa dia mba nitsangana teo ka nanaiky sady nitandrina ny fitafian'izay namono azy.

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

²¹Ary hoy Izy tamiko: Mandehana, fa Izaho haniraka anao handeha lavitra any amin'ny jentilisa.

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!”

²²Ary ny olona nihaino azy hatramin'izany teny izany, dia nanandratra ny feony ka nanao hoe: Esory amin'ny tany ilehio, fa tsy tokony hovelomina izy!

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

²³Ary raha niantso sy niala lamba ary nanipy vovoka ho amin'ny rivotra izy,

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.

²⁴dia nasain'ny mpifehy arivo ho entina any anati-rova Paoly, ary nasainy hadinina amin'ny kapoka, mba hahafantarany izay fototry ny nanakoran'ny olona azy toy izany.

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?”

²⁵Ary raha namatotra azy tamin'ny kofehy hoditra izy, dia hoy Paoly tamin'ny kapiteny izay hitsangana teo: Mety aminareo va ny mikapoka lehilahy Romana izay tsy mbola nohelohina?

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!”

²⁶Ary ny kapiteny, nony nahare, dia lasa nilaza tamin'ny mpifehy arivo ka nanao hoe: Inona izao hataonao izao? fa Romana io lehilahy io.

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

²⁷Dia nankeo aminy ny mpifehy arivo ka nanao taminy hoe: Lazao amiko: Romana va ianao? Dia hoy izy: Eny.

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

²⁸Ary ny mpifehy arivo namaly hoe: Vola be no nahazoako izany voninahitra izany. Fa hoy Paoly: Izaho kosa efa nanana izany hatry ny fony vao teraka.

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.

²⁹Dia nandao azy faingana ireo olona efa hanadina azy; ary ny mpifehy arivo natahotra koa, rehefa nahalala azy fa Romana, satria efa nampamatotra azy izy.[Ny nandaharan'i Paoly teny teo anatrehan'ny Synedriona] Ary nony ampitso, satria ta-hahafantatra marina izay niampangan'ny Jiosy azy ny mpifehy arivo, dia namaha azy, ary nasainy niangona ny lohan'ny mpisorona sy ny Synedriona rehetra, ary Paoly nentiny nidina ka nampitoeriny teo anatrehany.

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.

³⁰[Ny nandaharan'i Paoly teny teo anatrehan'ny Synedriona] Ary nony ampitso, satria ta-hahafantatra marina izay niampangan'ny Jiosy azy ny mpifehy arivo, dia namaha azy, ary nasainy niangona ny lohan'ny mpisorona sy ny Synedriona rehetra, ary Paoly nentiny nidina ka nampitoeriny teo anatrehany.