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22 “Ẹ̀yin ará àti baba, ẹ gbọ́ tí ẹnu mi nísinsin yìí.”

Nígbà tí wọ́n sì gbọ́ pé ó ń bá wọn sọ̀rọ̀ ni èdè Aramaiki, wọ́n túbọ̀ dákẹ́ jẹ́ẹ́.

Nígbà náà ni ó wí pé: “Júù ni èmi í ṣe, a bí mi ni Tarsu ìlú kan ní Kilikia, ṣùgbọ́n tí a tọ́ mi dàgbà ni ìlú yìí. Ní abẹ́ ẹsẹ̀ Gamalieli ni a sì gbé kọ́ mi ní òfin àwọn baba wa, tí mo sì ní ìtara fún Ọlọ́run àní gẹ́gẹ́ bí gbogbo yin tí rí ni òní. (A)Mo sì ṣe inúnibíni sí àwọn ènìyàn tí ń tọ ọ̀nà yìí dé ojú ikú wọn, mo dè tọkùnrin tobìnrin wọ́n, mo sì fi wọ́n sínú túbú, àní bí olórí àlùfáà pẹ̀lú gbogbo àjọ àwọn alàgbà tí lè jẹ́ mi ní ẹ̀rí. Mo tilẹ̀ gba ìwé àṣẹ lọ́wọ́ wọn lọ sọ́dọ̀ àwọn arákùnrin wọn ní Damasku láti mú àwọn tí ó wà níbẹ̀ ní dídè wá sí Jerusalẹmu, láti jẹ wọ́n ní yà.

“Bí èmi tí súnmọ́ etí Damasku níwọ̀n ọjọ́-kanrí, lójijì ìmọ́lẹ̀ ńlá láti ọ̀run wá mọ́lẹ̀ yí mi ká. Mo sì ṣubú lulẹ̀, mo sì gbọ́ ohùn kan tí ó wí fún mi pé, ‘Saulu, Saulu èéṣe tí ìwọ fi ń ṣe inúnibíni sí mi?’

“Mo sì béèrè pé, ‘Ta ni ìwọ, Olúwa?’

“Ó sì dá mi lóhùn pé, ‘Èmi ni Jesu tí Nasareti, ẹni tí ìwọ ń ṣe inúnibíni sí.’ Àwọn tí ó sì wà pẹ̀lú mi rí ìmọ́lẹ̀ náà nítòótọ́, ṣùgbọ́n wọn kò gbọ́ ohùn ẹni tí ń bá mi sọ̀rọ̀.

10 “Mo sí béèrè pé, ‘Kín ni kí èmí kí ó ṣe, Olúwa?’

“Olúwa sì wí fún mi pé, ‘Dìde, kí o sì lọ sí Damasku; níbẹ̀ ni a ó sì ti sọ ohun gbogbo fún ọ tí a yàn fún ọ láti ṣe.’ 11 Àwọn tí ó sì wà pẹ̀lú mi fà mí lọ́wọ́ wọ Damasku lọ nítorí tí èmi kò lè ríran nítorí ìtànṣán ìmọ́lẹ̀ náà ti fọ́ mi ní ojú.

12 “Ọkùnrin kan tí a ń pè ní Anania tọ̀ mí wá, ẹni tó jẹ́ olùfọkànsìn ti òfin, tí ó sì lórúkọ rere lọ́dọ̀ gbogbo àwọn Júù tí ó ń gbé ibẹ̀. 13 Ó sì dúró tì mí, ó sì wí fún mi pé, ‘Arákùnrin Saulu, gba ìríran!’ Ní ẹsẹ̀ kan náà, mo sì ṣí ojú sí òkè mo sì lè rí i.

14 “Nígbà náà ni ó wí pé: ‘Ọlọ́run àwọn baba wa ti yàn ọ́ láti mọ ìfẹ́ rẹ̀, àti láti ri Ẹni Òdodo náà, àti láti gbọ́ ọ̀rọ̀ láti ẹnu rẹ̀. 15 Ìwọ yóò jẹ́ ẹlẹ́rìí rẹ̀ fún gbogbo ènìyàn, nínú ohun tí ìwọ tí rí tí ìwọ sì ti gbọ́. 16 Ǹjẹ́ nísinsin yìí, kín ni ìwọ ń dúró dè? Dìde, kí a sì bamitiisi rẹ̀, kí ó sì wẹ ẹ̀ṣẹ̀ rẹ nù, kí ó sì máa pe orúkọ rẹ̀.’

17 “Nígbà tí mo padà wá sí Jerusalẹmu tí mo ǹ gbàdúrà ní tẹmpili, mo bọ́ sí ojúran, 18 mo sì rí Olúwa, ó ń sọ̀rọ̀ fún mi pé, ‘Kíá! Jáde kúrò ní Jerusalẹmu kánkán, nítorí wọn kì yóò gba ẹ̀rí rẹ nípa mi gbọ́.’

19 “Èmi sì wí pé, ‘Olúwa, àwọn ènìyàn wọ̀nyí pàápàá mọ̀ pé èmi ti lọ láti inú Sinagọgu kan sí èkejì láti máa sọ wọ́n sínú túbú àti láti máa lu àwọn tí ó gbà ọ́ gbọ́. 20 Nígbà tí a sì ta ẹ̀jẹ̀ Stefanu ẹlẹ́rìí rẹ sílẹ̀, èmi náà pẹ̀lú dúró níbẹ̀, mo sì ní ohùn sí ikú rẹ̀, mo sì ń ṣe ìtọ́jú aṣọ àwọn ẹni tí ó pa á.’

21 “Nígbà náà ni Olúwa wí fún mi pé, ‘Máa lọ: nítorí èmi ó rán ọ sí àwọn aláìkọlà lókèèrè réré.’ ”

Paulu ọmọ ìbílẹ̀ Romu

22 Wọ́n sì fi etí sí ọ̀rọ̀ Paulu títí tí ó fi sọ ọ̀rọ̀ yìí. Nígbà yìí ni wọ́n gbé ohùn wọn sókè, wọ́n sì kígbe wí pé, “Ẹ mu ẹni yìí kúrò láyé! Kò yẹ kí ó wà láààyè!”

23 Bí wọ́n sì ti ń kígbe, tí wọ́n sì ń jú aṣọ wọn káàkiri, tí wọ́n ń ku eruku sí ojú ọ̀run, 24 olórí ogun pàṣẹ pé kí a mú Paulu wá sínú àgọ́ àwọn ológun. Ó sì pàṣẹ kí wọ́n ó lù ú, kí wọn fi ọ̀rọ̀ wa lẹ́nu wò, kí òun ba à lè mọ ìdí tí wọ́n fi ń kígbe lé e lórí bẹ́ẹ̀. 25 Bí wọ́n sí tí fi ọṣán dè é, Paulu bí balógun ọ̀rún tí ó dúró tì í pé, “Ó ha tọ́ fún yín láti na ẹni tí i ṣe ará Romu ni àìdálẹ́bi bí?”

26 Nígbà tí balógun ọ̀rún sì gbọ́ èyí, ó lọ wí fún olórí ogun pé, “Kín ni ó fẹ́ ṣe yìí: nítorí ọkùnrin yìí ará Romu ní i ṣe?”

27 Alábojútó-ogun sì dé, ó sì bí Paulu pé, “Sọ fún mi, ará Romu ni ìwọ jẹ́ bí?”

Ó sì wí pé, “Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni.”

28 Alábojútó-ogun sì dáhùn wí pé, “Owó púpọ̀ ni mo fi ra ọlá ìbílẹ̀ yìí.”

Paulu wí pé, “Ṣùgbọ́n a bí mi sínú rẹ̀ ni.”

29 Nítorí náà àwọn tí ó múra láti fi ọ̀rọ̀ wa lẹ́nu wò fàsẹ́yìn kúrò lọ́dọ̀ rẹ̀: lójúkan náà. Olórí ogun pẹ̀lú sì bẹ̀rù nígbà tí ó mọ̀ pé ọmọ ìbílẹ̀ Romu ní Paulu i ṣe, àti nítorí ó tí dè é.

Níwájú àwọn ìgbìmọ̀

30 Ní ọjọ́ kejì, nítorí tí olórí ogun fẹ́ mọ̀ dájúdájú ohun tí àwọn Júù ń fi Paulu sùn sí, ó tú u sílẹ̀, ó pàṣẹ kí àwọn olórí àlùfáà àti gbogbo ìgbìmọ̀ péjọ, nígbà náà ni ó mú Paulu sọ̀kalẹ̀, ó sì mú un dúró níwájú wọn.

22 “Brothers and fathers,(A) listen now to my defense.”

When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,(B) they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: “I am a Jew,(C) born in Tarsus(D) of Cilicia,(E) but brought up in this city. I studied under(F) Gamaliel(G) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.(H) I was just as zealous(I) for God as any of you are today. I persecuted(J) the followers of this Way(K) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,(L) as the high priest and all the Council(M) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates(N) in Damascus,(O) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.(P) I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

“‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,(Q) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light,(R) but they did not understand the voice(S) of him who was speaking to me.

10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’(T) 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.(U)

12 “A man named Ananias came to see me.(V) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.(W) 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors(X) has chosen you to know his will and to see(Y) the Righteous One(Z) and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness(AA) to all people of what you have seen(AB) and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized(AC) and wash your sins away,(AD) calling on his name.’(AE)

17 “When I returned to Jerusalem(AF) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance(AG) 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison(AH) and beat(AI) those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’(AJ)

21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ (AK)

Paul the Roman Citizen

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him!(AL) He’s not fit to live!”(AM)

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks(AN) and flinging dust into the air,(AO) 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.(AP) He directed(AQ) that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”(AR)

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 Those who were about to interrogate him(AS) withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen,(AT) in chains.(AU)

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

30 The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews.(AV) So the next day he released him(AW) and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin(AX) to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 22:20 Or witness