The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 22ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΝ ΚΒ′

Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πατέρες, ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς νυνὶ ἀπολογίας.

Men, brothers and fathers, hear my defense that I now make to you.

ἀκούσαντες δὲ ὅτι τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ προσεφώνει αὐτοῖς, μᾶλλον παρέσχον ἡσυχίαν.

And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet.

Ἐγώ εἰμι ἀνὴρ Ἰουδαῖος, γεγεννημένος ἐν Ταρσῷ τῆς Κιλικίας, ἀνατεθραμμένος δὲ ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ παρὰ τοὺς πόδας Γαμαλιήλ, πεπαιδευμένος κατὰ ἀκρίβειαν τοῦ πατρῴου νόμου, ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τοῦ θεοῦ καθὼς πάντες ὑμεῖς ἐστε σήμερον·

I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as all of you are today.

ὃς ταύτην τὴν ὁδὸν ἐδίωξα ἄχρι θανάτου, δεσμεύων καὶ παραδιδοὺς εἰς φυλακὰς ἄνδρας τε καὶ γυναῖκας,

who persecuted this Way to the point of death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,

ὡς καὶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς μαρτυρεῖ μοι καὶ πᾶν τὸ πρεσβυτέριον· παρ᾿ ὧν καὶ ἐπιστολὰς δεξάμενος πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς εἰς Δαμασκὸν ἐπορευόμην, ἄξων καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖσε ὄντας δεδεμένους εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἵνα τιμωρηθῶσιν.

as the high priest also bears witness on my behalf, and all the council of elders; from whom I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was traveling there in order to bring back those who were there, bound, to Jerusalem to be punished.

Ἐγένετο δέ μοι πορευομένῳ καὶ ἐγγίζοντι τῇ Δαμασκῷ περὶ μεσημβρίαν ἐξαίφνης ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ περιαστράψαι φῶς ἱκανὸν περὶ ἐμέ.

And it happened that as I was traveling and drawing near to Damascus, around midday, suddenly a great light from heaven flashed around me.

ἔπεσά τε εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς λεγούσης μοι· Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;

And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπεκρίθην· Τίς εἶ, κύριε; εἶπέν τε πρός με· Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὃν σὺ διώκεις.

And I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.'

οἱ δὲ σὺν ἐμοὶ ὄντες τὸ μὲν φῶς ἐθεάσαντο, τὴν δὲ φωνὴν οὐκ ἤκουσαν τοῦ λαλοῦντός μοι.

Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

εἶπον δέ· Τί ποιήσω, κύριε; ὁ δὲ κύριος εἶπεν πρός με· Ἀναστὰς πορεύου εἰς Δαμασκόν, κἀκεῖ σοι λαληθήσεται περὶ πάντων ὧν τέτακταί σοι ποιῆσαι.

And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Rise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about all things that have been appointed for you to do.'

ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἐνέβλεπον ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου, χειραγωγούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν συνόντων μοι ἦλθον εἰς Δαμασκόν.

And since I could not see because of the glory of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.

Ἁνανίας δέ τις, ἀνὴρ εὐλαβὴς κατὰ τὸν νόμον, μαρτυρούμενος ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν κατοικούντων Ἰουδαίων,

And a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

ἐλθὼν πρός με καὶ ἐπιστὰς εἶπέν μοι· Σαοὺλ ἀδελφέ, ἀνάβλεψον. κἀγὼ αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἀνέβλεψα εἰς αὐτόν.

came to me, and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And I immediately looked up at him.

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν προεχειρίσατό σε γνῶναι τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰδεῖν τὸν δίκαιον καὶ ἀκοῦσαι φωνὴν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ·

And he 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,

ὅτι ἔσῃ μάρτυς αὐτῷ πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὧν ἑώρακας καὶ ἤκουσας.

because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.

καὶ νῦν τί μέλλεις; ἀναστὰς βάπτισαι καὶ ἀπόλουσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, ἐπικαλεσάμενος τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.

And now why do you delay? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.

Ἐγένετο δέ μοι ὑποστρέψαντι εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ προσευχομένου μου ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ γενέσθαι με ἐν ἐκστάσει

And it happened that when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance

καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν λέγοντά μοι· Σπεῦσον καὶ ἔξελθε ἐν τάχει ἐξ Ἰερουσαλήμ, διότι οὐ παραδέξονταί σου τὴν μαρτυρίαν περὶ ἐμοῦ.

and to see him saying to me, 'Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'

κἀγὼ εἶπον· Κύριε, αὐτοὶ ἐπίστανται ὅτι ἐγὼ ἤμην φυλακίζων καὶ δέρων κατὰ τὰς συναγωγὰς τοὺς πιστεύοντας ἐπὶ σέ·

And I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in the synagogues those who believed in you,

καὶ ὅτε ἐξεχύννετο τὸ αἷμα Στεφάνου τοῦ μάρτυρός σου, καὶ αὐτὸς ἤμην ἐφεστὼς καὶ συνευδοκῶν καὶ φυλάσσων τὰ ἱμάτια τῶν ἀναιρούντων αὐτόν.

and when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was also standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who were killing him.'

καὶ εἶπεν πρός με· Πορεύου, ὅτι ἐγὼ εἰς ἔθνη μακρὰν ἐξαποστελῶ σε.

And he said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'

Ἤκουον δὲ αὐτοῦ ἄχρι τούτου τοῦ λόγου, καὶ ἐπῆραν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν λέγοντες· Αἶρε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν τοιοῦτον· οὐ γὰρ καθῆκεν αὐτὸν ζῆν.

They were listening to him up to this word, and they raised their voices saying, 'Away with such a man from the earth! For he ought not to live!'

κραυγαζόντων τε αὐτῶν καὶ ῥιπτούντων τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ κονιορτὸν βαλλόντων εἰς τὸν ἀέρα,

And as they were crying out and throwing off their garments and hurling dust into the air,

ἐκέλευσεν ὁ χιλίαρχος εἰσάγεσθαι αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν, εἴπας μάστιξιν ἀνετάζεσθαι αὐτόν, ἵνα ἐπιγνῷ δι᾿ ἣν αἰτίαν οὕτως ἐπεφώνουν αὐτῷ.

the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he was to be examined by scourging, in order that he might find out for what reason they were shouting against him like this.

ὡς δὲ προέτειναν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἱμᾶσιν, εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν ἑστῶτα ἑκατόνταρχον ὁ Παῦλος· Εἰ ἄνθρωπον Ῥωμαῖον καὶ ἀκατάκριτον ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν μαστίζειν;

But when they stretched him out with the straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, 'Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?'

ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος, προσελθὼν τῷ χιλιάρχῳ ἀπήγγειλεν λέγων· Τί μέλλεις ποιεῖν; ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος Ῥωμαῖός ἐστιν.

And when the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and reported, saying, 'What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.'

προσελθὼν δὲ ὁ χιλίαρχος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Λέγε μοι, σὺ Ῥωμαῖος εἶ; ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Ναί.

And the tribune came and said to him, 'Tell me, are you a Roman?' And he said, 'Yes.'

ἀπεκρίθη δὲ ὁ χιλίαρχος· Ἐγὼ πολλοῦ κεφαλαίου τὴν πολιτείαν ταύτην ἐκτησάμην. ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἔφη· Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ γεγέννημαι.

And the tribune answered, 'I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money.' And Paul said, 'But I was born one.'

εὐθέως οὖν ἀπέστησαν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ οἱ μέλλοντες αὐτὸν ἀνετάζειν· καὶ ὁ χιλίαρχος δὲ ἐφοβήθη ἐπιγνοὺς ὅτι Ῥωμαῖός ἐστιν καὶ ὅτι αὐτὸν ἦν δεδεκώς.

Immediately therefore those who were about to examine him drew back from him, and the tribune also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman and that he had bound him.

Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον βουλόμενος γνῶναι τὸ ἀσφαλὲς τὸ τί κατηγορεῖται παρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔλυσεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἐκέλευσεν συνελθεῖν τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ πᾶν τὸ συνέδριον, καὶ καταγαγὼν τὸν Παῦλον ἔστησεν εἰς αὐτούς.

But on the next day, wanting to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the council to assemble, and bringing Paul down he set him before them.