Acts 22

1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

1 «أَيُّهَا ٱلرِّجَالُ ٱلْإِخْوَةُ وَٱلْآبَاءُ، ٱسْمَعُوا ٱحْتِجَاجِي ٱلْآنَ لَدَيْكُمْ».

2 When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,

2 فَلَمَّا سَمِعُوا أَنَّهُ يُنَادِي لَهُمْ بِٱللُّغَةِ ٱلْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ أَعْطَوْا سُكُوتًا أَحْرَى. فَقَالَ:

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.

3 «أَنَا رَجُلٌ يَهُودِيٌّ وُلِدْتُ فِي طَرْسُوسَ كِيلِيكِيَّةَ، وَلَكِنْ رَبَيْتُ فِي هَذِهِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ مُؤَدَّبًا عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْ غَمَالَائِيلَ عَلَى تَحْقِيقِ ٱلنَّامُوسِ ٱلْأَبَوِيِّ. وَكُنْتُ غَيُورًا لِلهِ كَمَا أَنْتُمْ جَمِيعُكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ.

4 I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,

4 وَٱضْطَهَدْتُ هَذَا ٱلطَّرِيقَ حَتَّى ٱلْمَوْتِ، مُقَيِّدًا وَمُسَلِّمًا إِلَى ٱلسُّجُونِ رِجَالًا وَنِسَاءً،

5 as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

5 كَمَا يَشْهَدُ لِي أَيْضًا رَئِيسُ ٱلْكَهَنَةِ وَجَمِيعُ ٱلْمَشْيَخَةِ، ٱلَّذِينَ إِذْ أَخَذْتُ أَيْضًا مِنْهُمْ رَسَائِلَ لِلْإِخْوَةِ إِلَى دِمَشْقَ، ذَهَبْتُ لِآتِيَ بِٱلَّذِينَ هُنَاكَ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ مُقَيَّدِينَ لِكَيْ يُعَاقَبُوا.

6 About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.

6 فَحَدَثَ لِي وَأَنَا ذَاهِبٌ وَمُتَقَرِّبٌ إِلَى دِمَشْقَ أَنَّهُ نَحْوَ نِصْفِ ٱلنَّهَارِ، بَغْتَةً أَبْرَقَ حَوْلِي مِنَ ٱلسَّمَاءِ نُورٌ عَظِيمٌ.

7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

7 فَسَقَطْتُ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ، وَسَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا قَائِلًا لِي: شَاوُلُ، شَاوُلُ! لِمَاذَا تَضْطَهِدُنِي؟

8 ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.

8 فَأَجَبْتُ: مَنْ أَنْتَ يَا سَيِّدُ؟ فَقَالَ لِي: أَنَا يَسُوعُ ٱلنَّاصِرِيُّ ٱلَّذِي أَنْتَ تَضْطَهِدُهُ.

9 My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

9 وَٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا مَعِي نَظَرُوا ٱلنُّورَ وَٱرْتَعَبُوا، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَسْمَعُوا صَوْتَ ٱلَّذِي كَلَّمَنِي.

10 Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’

10 فَقُلْتُ: مَاذَا أَفْعَلُ يَارَبُّ؟ فَقَالَ لِي ٱلرَّبُّ: قُمْ وَٱذْهَبْ إِلَى دِمَشْقَ، وَهُنَاكَ يُقَالُ لَكَ عَنْ جَمِيعِ مَا تَرَتَّبَ لَكَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ.

11 Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.

11 وَإِذْ كُنْتُ لَا أُبْصِرُ مِنْ أَجْلِ بَهَاءِ ذَلِكَ ٱلنُّورِ، ٱقْتَادَنِي بِيَدِي ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا مَعِي، فَجِئْتُ إِلَى دِمَشْقَ.

12 There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,

12 «ثُمَّ إِنَّ حَنَانِيَّا رَجُلًا تَقِيًّا حَسَبَ ٱلنَّامُوسِ، وَمَشْهُودًا لَهُ مِنْ جَمِيعِ ٱلْيَهُودِ ٱلسُّكَّانِ

13 came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

13 أَتَى إِلَيَّ، وَوَقَفَ وَقَالَ لِي: أَيُّهَا ٱلْأَخُ شَاوُلُ، أَبْصِرْ! فَفِي تِلْكَ ٱلسَّاعَةِ نَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ.

14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice.

14 فَقَالَ: إِلَهُ آبَائِنَا ٱنْتَخَبَكَ لِتَعْلَمَ مَشِيئَتَهُ، وَتُبْصِرَ ٱلْبَارَّ، وَتَسْمَعَ صَوْتًا مِنْ فَمِهِ.

15 You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

15 لِأَنَّكَ سَتَكُونُ لَهُ شَاهِدًا لِجَمِيعِ ٱلنَّاسِ بِمَا رَأَيْتَ وَسَمِعْتَ.

16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’

16 وَٱلْآنَ لِمَاذَا تَتَوَانَى؟ قُمْ وَٱعْتَمِدْ وَٱغْسِلْ خَطَايَاكَ دَاعِيًا بِٱسْمِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

17 Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance

17 وَحَدَثَ لِي بَعْدَ مَا رَجَعْتُ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ وَكُنْتُ أُصَلِّي فِي ٱلْهَيْكَلِ، أَنِّي حَصَلْتُ فِي غَيْبَةٍ،

18 and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’

18 فَرَأَيْتُهُ قَائِلًا لِي: أَسْرِعْ! وَٱخْرُجْ عَاجِلًا مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ، لِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَقْبَلُونَ شَهَادَتَكَ عَنِّي.

19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.

19 فَقُلْتُ: يَارَبُّ، هُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنِّي كُنْتُ أَحْبِسُ وَأَضْرِبُ فِي كُلِّ مَجْمَعٍ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِكَ.

20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’

20 وَحِينَ سُفِكَ دَمُ ٱسْتِفَانُوسَ شَهِيدِكَ كُنْتُ أَنَا وَاقِفًا وَرَاضِيًا بِقَتْلِهِ، وَحَافِظًا ثِيَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَتَلُوهُ.

21 Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

21 فَقَالَ لِي: ٱذْهَبْ، فَإِنِّي سَأُرْسِلُكَ إِلَى ٱلْأُمَمِ بَعِيدًا».

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”

22 فَسَمِعُوا لَهُ حَتَّى هَذِهِ ٱلْكَلِمَةِ، ثُمَّ رَفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَهُمْ قَائِلِينَ: «خُذْ مِثْلَ هَذَا مِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ، لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَعِيشَ!».

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

23 وَإِذْ كَانُوا يَصِيحُونَ وَيَطْرَحُونَ ثِيَابَهُمْ وَيَرْمُونَ غُبَارًا إِلَى ٱلْجَوِّ،

24 the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.

24 أَمَرَ ٱلْأَمِيرُ أَنْ يُذْهَبَ بِهِ إِلَى ٱلْمُعَسْكَرِ، قَائِلًا أَنْ يُفْحَصَ بِضَرَبَاتٍ، لِيَعْلَمَ لِأَيِّ سَبَبٍ كَانُوا يَصْرُخُونَ عَلَيْهِ هَكَذَا.

25 But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”

25 فَلَمَّا مَدُّوهُ لِلسِّيَاطِ، قَالَ بُولُسُ لِقَائِدِ ٱلْمِئَةِ ٱلْوَاقِفِ: «أَيَجُوزُ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَجْلِدُوا إِنْسَانًا رُومَانِيًّا غَيْرَ مَقْضِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ؟».

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

26 فَإِذْ سَمِعَ قَائِدُ ٱلْمِئَةِ ذَهَبَ إِلَى ٱلْأَمِيرِ، وَأَخْبَرَهُ قَائِلًا: «ٱنْظُرْ مَاذَا أَنْتَ مُزْمِعٌ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ! لِأَنَّ هَذَا ٱلرَّجُلَ رُومَانِيٌّ».

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

27 فَجَاءَ ٱلْأَمِيرُ وَقَالَ لَهُ: «قُلْ لِي: أَنْتَ رُومَانِيٌّ؟». فَقَالَ: «نَعَمْ».

28 “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

28 فَأَجَابَ ٱلْأَمِيرُ: «أَمَّا أَنَا فَبِمَبْلَغٍ كَبِيرٍ ٱقْتَنَيْتُ هَذِهِ ٱلرَّعَوِيَّةَ». فَقَالَ بُولُسُ: «أَمَّا أَنَا فَقَدْ وُلِدْتُ فِيهَا».

29 At once those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.

29 وَلِلْوَقْتِ تَنَحَّى عَنْهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا مُزْمِعِينَ أَنْ يَفْحَصُوهُ. وَٱخْتَشَى ٱلْأَمِيرُ لَمَّا عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ رُومَانِيٌّ، وَلِأَنَّهُ قَدْ قَيَّدَهُ.

30 The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

30 وَفِي ٱلْغَدِ إِذْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَعْلَمَ ٱلْيَقِينَ: لِمَاذَا يَشْتَكِي ٱلْيَهُودُ عَلَيْهِ؟ حَلَّهُ مِنَ ٱلرِّبَاطِ، وَأَمَرَ أَنْ يَحْضُرَ رُؤَسَاءُ ٱلْكَهَنَةِ وَكُلُّ مَجْمَعِهِمْ. فَأَحْدَرَ بُولُسَ وَأَقَامَهُ لَدَيْهِمْ.