1Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. 2(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) 3I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 4And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 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 went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 6And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 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. 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. 12And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. 15For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. 16And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 17And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. 22And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. 23And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, 24The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. 25And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? 26When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. 27Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. 29Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.
1“Ẹ̀yin ará àti baba, ẹ gbọ́ tí ẹnu mi nísinsin yìí.”
2Nígbà tí wọ́n sì gbọ́ pé ó ń bá wọn sọ̀rọ̀ ni èdè Aramaiki, wọ́n túbọ̀ dákẹ́ jẹ́ẹ́.
Nígbà náà ni ó wí pé: 3“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. 422.4-16: Ap 9.1-19; 26.9-18; Ga 1.14.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, 5àní 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.
6“Bí èmi tí súnmọ́ etí Damasku níwọ̀n ọjọ́-kanrí, lójijì ìmọ́lẹ̀ ńlá láti ọ̀run wá mọ́lẹ̀ yí mi ká. 7Mo 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?’
8“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.’ 9Àwọn 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.’ 11Àwọn 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. 13Ó 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. 15Ìwọ yóò jẹ́ ẹlẹ́rìí rẹ̀ fún gbogbo ènìyàn, nínú ohun tí ìwọ tí rí tí ìwọ sì ti gbọ́. 16Ǹjẹ́ 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, 18mo 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. 20Nígbà 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
22Wọ́n 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!”
23Bí wọ́n sì ti ń kígbe, tí wọ́n sì ń jú aṣọ wọn káàkiri, tí wọ́n ń ku eruku sí ojú ọ̀run, 24olórí 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. 25Bí 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?”
26Nígbà 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?”
27Alábojútó-ogun sì dé, ó sì bí Paulu pé, “Sọ fún mi, ará Romu ni ìwọ jẹ́ bí?”
Ó sì wí pé, “Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni.”
28Alábojútó-ogun sì dáhùn wí pé, “Owó púpọ̀ ni mo fi ra ọlá ìbílẹ̀ yìí.”
Paulu wí pé, “Ṣùgbọ́n a bí mi sínú rẹ̀ ni.”
29Nítorí 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
30Ní 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.
