Atti 22 | Nuova Riveduta 2006

Nuova Riveduta 2006

Discorso di Paolo ai Giudei

1 «Fratelli e padri, ascoltate ciò che ora vi dico a mia difesa». 2 Quando ebbero udito che egli parlava loro in lingua ebraica, fecero ancora più silenzio. Poi disse: 3 «Io sono un Giudeo, nato a Tarso di Cilicia, ma allevato in questa città, educato ai piedi di Gamaliele nella rigida osservanza della legge dei padri; sono stato zelante per la causa di Dio, come voi tutti siete oggi; 4 perseguitai a morte questa Via, legando e mettendo in prigione uomini e donne, 5 come me ne sono testimoni il sommo sacerdote e tutto il collegio degli anziani; avute da loro delle lettere per i fratelli, mi recavo a Damasco per condurre legati a Gerusalemme anche quelli che erano là, perché fossero puniti. 6 Mentre ero per strada e mi avvicinavo a Damasco, verso mezzogiorno, improvvisamente dal cielo mi sfolgorò intorno una gran luce. 7 Caddi a terra e udii una voce che mi disse: “Saulo, Saulo, perché mi perseguiti?” 8 Io risposi: “Chi sei, Signore?” Ed egli mi disse: “Io sono Gesù il Nazareno, che tu perseguiti”. 9 Coloro che erano con me videro sì la luce, ma non intesero la voce di colui che mi parlava. 10 Allora dissi: “Signore, che devo fare?” E il Signore mi disse: “Àlzati, va’ a Damasco, e là ti saranno dette tutte le cose che ti è ordinato di fare”. 11 E siccome non ci vedevo più a causa del fulgore di quella luce, fui condotto per mano da quelli che erano con me; e così giunsi a Damasco. 12 Un certo Anania, uomo pio secondo la legge, al quale tutti i Giudei che abitavano là rendevano buona testimonianza, 13 venne da me e, accostatosi, mi disse: “Fratello Saulo, recupera la vista”. E in quell’istante riebbi la vista e lo guardai. 14 Egli soggiunse: “Il Dio dei nostri padri ti ha destinato a conoscere la sua volontà, a vedere il Giusto e ad ascoltare una parola dalla sua bocca. 15 Perché tu gli sarai testimone davanti a tutti gli uomini delle cose che hai viste e udite. 16 E ora, perché indugi? Àlzati, sii battezzato e lavato dei tuoi peccati, invocando il suo nome”. 17 Dopo il mio ritorno a Gerusalemme, mentre pregavo nel tempio, fui rapito in estasi 18 e vidi Gesù che mi diceva: “Affrèttati, esci presto da Gerusalemme, perché essi non riceveranno la tua testimonianza su di me”. 19 E io dissi: “Signore, essi sanno che io incarceravo e flagellavo nelle sinagoghe quelli che credevano in te; 20 quando si versava il sangue di Stefano, tuo testimone, anch’io ero presente e approvavo, e custodivo i vestiti di coloro che lo uccidevano”. 21 Ma egli mi disse: “Va’, perché io ti manderò lontano, tra i popoli”». 22 Lo ascoltarono fino a questa parola; poi alzarono la voce, dicendo: «Togli via dal mondo un uomo simile; perché non è degno di vivere». 23 Com’essi gridavano e gettavano via i loro vestiti e lanciavano polvere in aria, 24 il tribuno comandò che Paolo fosse condotto nella fortezza e che venisse interrogato mediante tortura, allo scopo di sapere per quale motivo gridassero così contro di lui. 25 Quando lo ebbero disteso e legato con le cinghie, Paolo disse al centurione che era presente: «Vi è lecito flagellare un cittadino romano, che non è stato ancora condannato?» 26 Il centurione, udito questo, andò a riferirlo al tribuno, dicendo: «Che stai per fare? Quest’uomo è romano!» 27 Il tribuno andò da Paolo e gli chiese: «Dimmi, sei romano?» Ed egli rispose: «Sì». 28 Il tribuno replicò: «Io ho acquistato questa cittadinanza per una grande somma di denaro». E Paolo disse: «Io, invece, l’ho di nascita». 29 Allora quelli che stavano per sottoporlo a interrogatorio si ritirarono subito da lui; e anche il tribuno, sapendo che egli era romano, ebbe paura perché lo aveva fatto legare.

Paolo davanti al sinedrio

30 Il giorno seguente, volendo sapere con certezza di che cosa egli fosse accusato dai Giudei, lo liberò e ordinò ai capi dei sacerdoti e a tutto il sinedrio di radunarsi; e, condotto giù Paolo, lo fece comparire davanti a loro.

English Standard Version

1 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.” (At 7,2) 2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language,^[1] they became even more quiet. And he said: (At 21,40) 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel^[2] according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. (De 33,3; 2Re 4,38; Lu 10,39; Giov 16,2; At 5,34; At 9,11; At 21,20; At 21,39; At 26,5; Ro 10,2; Ro 11,1; 2Co 11,22; Fili 3,5; Fili 3,6)

De 33,32Re 4,38Lu 10,39Giov 16,2At 5,34At 9,11At 21,20At 21,39At 26,5Ro 10,2Ro 11,12Co 11,22Fili 3,5Fili 3,6

4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, (At 5,20; At 8,1; At 8,3; At 9,2; At 22,19; At 22,20; At 26,10)

At 5,20At 8,1At 8,3At 9,2At 22,19At 22,20At 26,10

5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. (Lu 22,66; At 9,1; At 28,21; 1Ti 4,14)

Lu 22,66At 9,1At 28,211Ti 4,14

6 “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. (At 9,3; At 26,12) 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ (At 26,9) 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand^[3] the voice of the one who was speaking to me. (Da 10,7; At 9,7) 10 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 all that is appointed for you to do.’ (At 16,30) 11 And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. 12 “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, (At 9,10; At 10,22; At 24,14) 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. (At 9,17; At 9,18) 14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; (At 3,13; At 3,14; At 9,15; At 9,17; At 22,15; At 22,18; At 26,16; 1Co 9,1; 1Co 15,8; Ga 1,12)

At 3,13At 3,14At 9,15At 9,17At 22,15At 22,18At 26,161Co 9,11Co 15,8Ga 1,12

15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. (At 4,20; At 22,14; At 23,11) 16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’ (Sal 51,2; At 2,38; At 9,14; At 9,18; 1Co 6,11; Eb 10,22)

Sal 51,2At 2,38At 9,14At 9,181Co 6,11Eb 10,22

17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance (Lu 18,10; At 3,1; At 9,26; At 10,10; At 11,5; At 26,20; 2Co 12,1)

Lu 18,10At 3,1At 9,26At 10,10At 11,5At 26,202Co 12,1

18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ (At 9,29) 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. (Mat 10,17; At 22,4; At 26,11) 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ (At 7,58; At 8,1; At 26,10; Ro 1,32; Ap 2,13)

At 7,58At 8,1At 26,10Ro 1,32Ap 2,13

21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” (At 2,39; At 9,15)

Paul and the Roman Tribune

22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” (At 21,36; At 25,24) 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. (At 21,34; At 22,29; At 23,10) 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips,^[4] Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” (At 16,37) 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him. (At 16,38; At 21,33; At 22,24; At 23,27)

At 16,38At 21,33At 22,24At 23,27

Paul Before the Council

30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. (At 22,24; At 23,28)