1Varones hermanos y padres, oíd ahora mi defensa ante vosotros.2(Oyendo entonces que les hablaba en lengua hebrea, guardaron más silencio.) Y dice:3Yo soy un varón judío, nacido en Tarso de Cilicia, pero criado en esta ciudad, y educado a los pies de Gamaliel conforme a la rigidez de la ley ancestral, siendo tan celoso de Dios como todos vosotros lo sois hoy.4Yo perseguí a muerte este Camino, atando y entregando en cárceles a varones y también a mujeres,5como también me es testigo el sumo sacerdote, y todo el concilio de ancianos, pues de ellos recibí cartas para los hermanos en Damasco, y viajaba allá para traer atados a Jerusalem incluso a los que había allí, a fin de que fueran castigados.
Pablo relata su conversión
6Pero me aconteció yendo, cuando me acercaba a Damasco, como a medio día, súbitamente una gran luz del cielo resplandeció en torno a mí,7y caí al suelo y oí una voz que me decía: Saulo, Saulo, ¿por qué me persigues?8Yo entonces respondí: ¿Quién eres, Señor? Me dijo: Yo soy Jesús el nazareno, a quién tú persigues.9Ahora bien, los que estaban conmigo ciertamente vieron la luz, pero no oyeron la voz del que hablaba conmigo.10Entonces dije: ¿Qué debo hacer, Señor? Y el Señor me dijo: Levántate, ve a Damasco, y allí se te dirá todo lo que ha sido ordenado que hagas.11Y como no veía por causa del resplandor de aquella luz, me llevaron de la mano los que estaban conmigo, y llegué a Damasco.12Entonces cierto Ananías, varón piadoso conforme a la ley, que recibía aprobación de todos los judíos que viven allí,13vino a mí, y acercándose, me dijo: Hermano Saulo, recupera la vista. Y en aquel momento, miré hacia él.14Entonces él dijo: El Dios de nuestros padres te ha escogido para que conozcas su voluntad, veas al Justo y oigas la voz de su boca.15Porque le serás testigo ante todos los hombres de lo que has visto y oído.16Ahora pues, ¿qué esperas? ¡Levántate y bautízate y lava tus pecados invocando su nombre!
Apostolado a los gentiles
17Y me aconteció que después de regresar a Jerusalem, y cuando estaba orando en el templo, tuve un éxtasis,18y vi que me decía: Apresúrate, y sal pronto de Jerusalem; porque no recibirán tu testimonio acerca de mí.19Y yo dije: Señor, ellos saben que yo estaba encarcelando y azotando en cada una de las sinagogas a los que creen en ti.20Y cuando era derramada la sangre de Esteban tu testigo, yo mismo estaba presente consintiendo y guardando las ropas de los que lo mataban.21Y me dijo: Ve, porque Yo te enviaré lejos a los gentiles.22Y lo escucharon hasta esa palabra, y alzando la voz, gritaron: ¡Quita a ése de la tierra, que no conviene que viva!23Y como ellos seguían gritando y agitando sus mantos y echando polvo al aire,24el tribuno mandó meterlo en la fortaleza, y dijo que lo atormentaran con azotes, para descubrir por qué causa le gritaban así.
Pablo, ciudadano romano
25Pero cuando lo estaban atando con las correas, Pablo dijo al centurión que estaba presente: ¿Os es lícito azotar también a un ciudadano romano sin sentencia previa?26Cuando el centurión oyó esto, fue al tribuno y le avisó, diciendo: ¿Qué vas a hacer?, porque este hombre es romano.27El tribuno se le acercó entonces, y le dijo: Dime, ¿eres tú romano? Y él dijo: Sí.28Y el tribuno respondió: Yo, con una gran suma adquirí esta ciudadanía. Entonces Pablo dijo: Pues yo la tengo de nacimiento.29De manera que los que iban a interrogarlo se apartaron de él al instante. Y hasta el tribuno, aun por haberlo atado, tuvo temor al saber que era romano.
Pablo ante el Sanedrín
30Al día siguiente, queriendo saber de seguro por qué lo acusaban los judíos, lo desató; y mandó reunir a los principales sacerdotes y a todo el Sanedrín; y sacando a Pablo, lo puso ante ellos.
Hechos 22
King James Version
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.