1 “My fellow Jews, listen to me as I make my defense before you!” 2 When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even quieter; and Paul went on:
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in Jerusalem as a student of Gamaliel. I received strict instruction in the Law of our ancestors and was just as dedicated to God as are all of you who are here today. 4 I persecuted to the death the people who followed this Way. I arrested men and women and threw them into prison. 5 The High Priest and the whole Council can prove that I am telling the truth. I received from them letters written to fellow Jews in Damascus, so I went there to arrest these people and bring them back in chains to Jerusalem to be punished.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
(Acts 9.1-19Acts 26.12-18)6 “As I was traveling and coming near Damascus, about midday a bright light from the sky flashed suddenly around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ 8 ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute,’ he said to me. 9 The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 I asked, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ and the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that God has determined for you to do.’ 11 I was blind because of the bright light, and so my companions took me by the hand and led me into Damascus.
12 “In that city was a man named Ananias, a religious man who obeyed our Law and was highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He came to me, stood by me, and said, ‘Brother Saul, see again!’ At that very moment I saw again and looked at him. 14 He said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see his righteous Servant, and to hear him speaking with his own voice. 15 For you will be a witness for him to tell everyone what you have seen and heard. 16 And now, why wait any longer? Get up and be baptized and have your sins washed away by praying to him.’
Paul's Call to Preach to the Gentiles
17 “I went back to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the Temple, I had a vision, 18 in which I saw the Lord, as he said to me, ‘Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your witness about me.’ 19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that I went to the synagogues and arrested and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when your witness Stephen was put to death, I myself was there, approving of his murder and taking care of the cloaks of his murderers.’ 21 ‘Go,’ the Lord said to me, ‘for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 The people listened to Paul until he said this; but then they started shouting at the top of their voices, “Away with him! Kill him! He's not fit to live!” 23 They were screaming, waving their clothes, and throwing dust up in the air. 24 The Roman commander ordered his men to take Paul into the fort, and he told them to whip him in order to find out why the Jews were screaming like this against him. 25 But when they had tied him up to be whipped, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it lawful for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been tried for any crime?”
26 When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked him, “What are you doing? That man is a Roman citizen!”
27 So the commander went to Paul and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”
“Yes,” answered Paul.
28 The commander said, “I became one by paying a large amount of money.”
“But I am one by birth,” Paul answered.
29 At once the men who were going to question Paul drew back from him; and the commander was frightened when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had put him in chains.
Paul before the Council
30 The commander wanted to find out for sure what the Jews were accusing Paul of; so the next day he had Paul's chains taken off and ordered the chief priests and the whole Council to meet. Then he took Paul and made him stand before them.
Dhuŋun dhina dhabiŋaijo Buulus Yahuud
1 Liji lai lina liro limega, a baboŋa, diŋinul dhuŋuna dhiny dhina dhajabiŋaijo ŋinena. 2 (A dina maldiŋini darnu luŋwul abiŋaijo gi dhuŋun dha ⓐibraaniiya, aljani galo jigwoiny. Ŋwubarnu,) 3 Nyi gwiro kwiji gwina gwiro Yahuudi, nyi gwiliŋinu gi Ṯarsuus gwa Kiiliikiiya, abi nyi gwibiŋii gi mediina ibigwa nyalimini ŋwora ganu ŋwa Qamaalaayiil, gi dhuŋun dhina dhiro titiganu dha naamuus gwa baboŋa lega, nyuminyi Kaloŋa gwuleny gwiro ŋinena nyaŋa peth lina lo mina ŋinenaŋina. 4 Athinyi dhagirini gi Dhai ibidha di athinyil rinya, a nyi guke loma a la a nyilgeta gi sujuun. 5 A kweleny gwa gusus ko gwiro shaahid gwiny a shiyuuk luŋun peth lina lapinyina jawaabaat gi limega, a dina minyela gi dhai dhina dhathela gi Dimishga dinyapa ŋediŋaije lina lijo mine nyilela gi Urushaliim ligukinu dilapai jiza. 6 A dina idhiny, nyi jaijo Dimishgaŋw githo kaŋin ganu, a kaija ibige a fure gwina gwipa gwa Sama uludha diginy. 7 Nyide kwiyaŋ nyidiŋini ŋwal nyilaicinu, Shaawul, Shaawul, kworaŋ athinyinbi dhagirini? 8 Nyibaicinu, Ŋa gwan ei, Kweleny gwai? Nyibaicinu, Nyi gwan Yasuuⓐ gwa Naas̱ira, gwina gwathaŋan dhagirini. 9 A ŋediŋa lina lijanalai aŋa fure, aldhenya; athilbi diŋinu ŋwal ŋwina ŋwabiŋaijiny no. 10 Nyibarnu, Nyi gwapaŋa, Kweleny gwai? Nyibi Kweleny aicinu, Diro, nyela gi Dimishga; a mine laŋa abiŋaijo dhuŋuna peth dhina dhigitinu daŋapai. 11 A dina athinyuthi ŋoma didaŋa galo no, ŋinena jo fure gwipa, nyi liji odha dhoi dhai lina lijanalai, nyela gi Dimishga. 12 A gweta gwina gwan H̱anaaniiya, gwiro kwiji gwina gwiŋir gi dhuŋun dha naamuus, gwina gwuthi jiriny jina jiŋir gi Yahuud peth lina lathije mine, 13 ŋwila diginy, ŋwudhuna, nyaicinu, Mega gwai gwina gwan Shaawul, daŋudhi galo. A gi saaⓐa ibije jetajeta nyidaŋa ŋeduŋw. 14 Ŋwarnu, Kalo ga baboŋa lega gimaŋa mutha daŋa liŋa dhuŋuna dhina dhibupuŋw, a daŋa aŋa Gweta gwina Gwiŋir, a ŋa diŋini ŋwal gi ŋwinyu ŋwuŋun. 15 Ŋinena adhaŋa ro shaahid gwuŋun gi liji peth gi dhuŋun dhina dhaŋadaŋa a dhina dhidiŋinaŋa. 16 A ŋinena kworaŋ ŋabi dhuna? Diro, ŋapai maⓐmuudiiya, a ŋuye ŋida ŋuŋa ŋina ŋike, daŋa urnie jiriny ja Kweleny. 17 A dina minyaura gi Urushaliim manaŋ, dina abiŋaijiny Kaloŋa gi hekal, nyuthi gimirela gi je ganu; 18 nyaŋa ŋeduŋw nyaicinu, Diro, ŋantu ganu babraŋ gi Urushaliim, ŋinena athiluminyu shahaada gwuŋa gwan nyi no. 19 Nyarnu, Kweleny gwai, ŋediŋa liliŋidhi darnu nyi gwathigeta lijo gi sijn a nyilpi gi majaamiⓐ peth lina luminyaŋa. 20 A dina iro ŋin ŋa Istifaanuus gwina gwiro shaahid gwuŋa, nyi ko gwidhunudhi githo, nyuminyi duŋwai, a nyi dima ciraŋa ja ŋediŋa lina lirinyii. 21 Nyibaicinu, Idhi; nyi gwaŋa ukeje gi Liumam lina lathije kalo gina golaŋ ganu.
Buulus gwaŋajo lijo darnu ŋeda gwiro kwiji gwa Ruumiya
22 Aldeŋinaijo ŋeduŋw di gi dhuŋun ibidha, albaji alure gwula alarnu, Abirul kwijo gwina gwiro minoŋ kidhila. Gwati gwiŋir duŋwmidhe no. 23 Alje dilure gwula algagitho ciraŋa galo jegen algagitho fura alaŋ kabo, 24 a komandaan dhedha ejigur amr dilapai gi maⓐshkar, duŋwuthe galo dhuŋun dhai dhadhipini; duŋwliŋa darnu kworaŋ athibi liji urejo ŋeduŋw gwula minoŋ. 25 A dina malguke jurna jai, a Buulus aici zabithuŋw gwina gwidhunudhi githo nu, Dhuŋun dhiŋir dagalo danyapi kwijo gwina gwiro Ruumaani, kwereny nanaŋ gwati gwakimianya na? 26 A dina ma zabith diŋini dhuŋuna ibidhe, ŋwela di komandaan ŋwabiŋaijo ŋwaicinu, Ethadhinu galo gi dhuŋun dhina dhara dhaŋapai; ŋinena ro kwiji ibigwa gwa Ruumiya. 27 A komandaan ila ŋwaicinu, Abiŋaijiny, ŋa gwiro gwa Ruumiya a? Ŋwarnu, Ye. 28 A komandaan arnu, Gwarush gwai gwoinyadho nyi gwili dhuŋuna ibidha dinyiro gweta gwa Ruumiya. Abi Buulus arnu, Abi nyi gwiliŋinu na. 29 A kaija ibige an ŋediŋa gathani anela ganu lina lar lothaije galo; a komandaan ko dhenya dina muŋwliŋa darnu gwiro gweta gwa Ruumiya, ŋinena gukuŋw.
Buulus gwabiŋu dhuŋuna dhuŋun gi je ganu ja juriya
30 A bigunu ŋwari gwaliŋa dhuŋuna momaŋ dhina dhabiŋudhidhai Yahuud dugun, ŋwuguda galo, ŋwabiŋaijo lelenya la gusus a liji peth la juriya dilauradha liduŋw, ŋwodha Buulusuŋw ŋwudhuneje gi je ganu jegen.