Acts

1「诸位父兄请听，我现在对你们分诉。」

2众人听他说的是希伯来话，就更加安静了。

3保罗说：「我原是犹太人，生在基利家的大数，长在这城里，在迦玛列门下，按着我们祖宗严紧的律法受教，热心事奉 神，像你们众人今日一样。

4我也曾逼迫奉这道的人，直到死地，无论男女都锁拿下监。

5这是大祭司和众长老都可以给我作见证的。我又领了他们达与弟兄的书信，往大马士革去，要把在那里奉这道的人锁拿，带到耶路撒冷受刑。」

保罗叙述归主的经过

6「我将到大马士革，正走的时候，约在晌午，忽然从天上发大光，四面照着我。

7我就仆倒在地，听见有声音对我说：『扫罗！扫罗！你为什么逼迫我？』

8我回答说：『主啊，你是谁？』他说：『我就是你所逼迫的拿撒勒人耶稣。』

9与我同行的人看见了那光，却没有听明那位对我说话的声音。

10我说：『主啊，我当做什么？』主说：『起来，进大马士革去，在那里，要将所派你做的一切事告诉你。』

11我因那光的荣耀不能看见，同行的人就拉着我手进了大马士革。

12那里有一个人，名叫亚拿尼亚，按着律法是虔诚人，为一切住在那里的犹太人所称赞。

13他来见我，站在旁边，对我说：『兄弟扫罗，你可以看见。』我当时往上一看，就看见了他。

14他又说：『我们祖宗的 神拣选了你，叫你明白他的旨意，又得见那义者，听他口中所出的声音。

15因为你要将所看见的，所听见的，对着万人为他作见证。

16现在你为什么耽延呢？起来，求告他的名受洗，洗去你的罪。』」

保罗奉召向外邦人传道

17「后来，我回到耶路撒冷，在殿里祷告的时候，魂游象外，

18看见主向我说：『你赶紧地离开耶路撒冷，不可迟延；因你为我作的见证，这里的人必不领受。』

19我就说：『主啊，他们知道我从前把信你的人收在监里，又在各会堂里鞭打他们。

20并且你的见证人司提反被害流血的时候，我也站在旁边欢喜；又看守害死他之人的衣裳。』

21主向我说：『你去吧！我要差你远远地往外邦人那里去。』」

保罗与长官交涉

22众人听他说到这句话，就高声说：「这样的人，从世上除掉他吧！他是不当活着的。」

23众人喧嚷，摔掉衣裳，把尘土向空中扬起来。

24千夫长就吩咐将保罗带进营楼去，叫人用鞭子拷问他，要知道他们向他这样喧嚷是为什么缘故。

25刚用皮条捆上，保罗对旁边站着的百夫长说：「人是罗马人，又没有定罪，你们就鞭打他，有这个例吗？」

26百夫长听见这话，就去见千夫长，告诉他说：「你要做什么？这人是罗马人。」

27千夫长就来问保罗说：「你告诉我，你是罗马人吗？」保罗说：「是。」

28千夫长说：「我用许多银子才入了罗马的民籍。」保罗说：「我生来就是。」

29于是那些要拷问保罗的人就离开他去了。千夫长既知道他是罗马人，又因为捆绑了他，也害怕了。

保罗在公会前申诉

30第二天，千夫长为要知道犹太人控告保罗的实情，便解开他，吩咐祭司长和全公会的人都聚集，将保罗带下来，叫他站在他们面前。

1“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”

2When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,

3“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.

4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

5as also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

6“As I made my journey and came close to Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky.

7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

8I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me,‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’

9“Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me.

10I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me,‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’

11When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

12“One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

13came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him.

14He 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.

15For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

17“When I had returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance

18and saw him saying to me,‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’

19I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

20When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’

21“He said to me,‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”

22They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice and said, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”

23As they cried out, threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,

24the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that.

25When they had tied him up with straps, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”

26When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!”

27The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

28The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”

29Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

30But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.