使徒行传 22
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
22 “各位父老兄弟，请听我解释！” 2 在场的人听见保罗讲的是希伯来话，更加安静了。保罗说： 3 “我是犹太人，生于基利迦的大数，在耶路撒冷长大，曾在迦玛列门下严格地按着我们祖先的律法接受教育，像你们今日一样热心事奉上帝。 4 我曾经把信奉这道的男女信徒抓进监狱，迫害他们，置他们于死地。 5 大祭司和众长老都可以为我作证。我还拿着他们写给大马士革的犹太人的信去拘捕那里的信徒，押回耶路撒冷受刑。
6 “当我快到大马士革的时候，大约中午时分，突然从天上有一道强光四面照着我。 7 我就扑倒在地，听见有声音对我说，‘扫罗！扫罗！你为什么迫害我？’ 8 我回答说，‘主啊，你是谁？’他说，‘我就是你迫害的拿撒勒人耶稣！’ 9 我的同伴虽然也看见那道强光，却听不懂那位说话者的声音。 10 接着我又问，‘主啊！我该怎么办？’主说，‘起来，到大马士革去，那里会有人将指派给你的事告诉你。’
11 “那道耀眼的光照得我双眼失明，于是同行的人拉着我的手，带我进了大马士革。 12 那里有一个严守律法的虔诚人名叫亚拿尼亚，深受当地所有犹太人的尊敬。 13 他来探望我，站在我身边说，‘扫罗弟兄，重见光明吧！’就在那一刻，我抬头看见了他。 14 他又说，‘我们祖先的上帝拣选了你，要你明白祂的旨意，又让你亲自看见那位公义者、听到祂的声音。 15 因为你将做祂的见证人，把所见所闻告诉万民。 16 现在你还等什么呢？起来求告祂的名，接受洗礼，洗净你的罪。’
17 “后来，我回到耶路撒冷，在圣殿里祷告的时候，进入异象， 18 看见主对我说，‘赶快离开耶路撒冷，因为这里的人不会接受你为我做的见证。’ 19 我说，‘主啊！他们都知道我从前搜遍各会堂，逮捕、毒打信你的人。 20 当你的见证人司提凡为你流血殉道时，我自己也站在旁边赞同杀他的人，还替他们保管衣服。’ 21 主却对我说，‘去吧！我要差遣你到遥远的外族人那里。’”
因罗马公民身份而免刑
22 众人一听到这里，就高喊：“从世上除掉这样的人！他不配活着！” 23 百姓咆哮着脱掉外衣，扬起尘土。 24 千夫长下令把保罗押回营房，预备鞭打拷问他，要查出众人向他咆哮的缘由。 25 他们把保罗绑起来正要鞭打，保罗问旁边的百夫长：“未经定罪就拷打罗马公民合法吗？”
26 百夫长一听，立刻去禀告千夫长说：“你看该怎么办？这人是罗马公民。”
27 千夫长就来问保罗：“告诉我，你是罗马公民吗？”
保罗说：“是的。”
28 千夫长说：“我花了很多钱才当上罗马公民！”
保罗说：“我生来就是。”
29 那些准备拷问保罗的士兵立刻退下了。千夫长也害怕起来，因为发现保罗是罗马公民，他却下令捆绑了保罗。
保罗在公会申辩
30 第二天，千夫长想知道保罗被犹太人指控的真相，就为保罗松了绑，并招聚了祭司长和全公会的人，然后将保罗带来，让他站在众人面前。
Acts 22
International Children’s Bible
Paul Speaks to the People
22 Paul said, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! I will make my defense to you.” 2 When the Jews heard him speaking the Jewish language,[a] they became very quiet. Paul said, 3 “I am a Jew. I was born in Tarsus in the country of Cilicia. I grew up in this city. I was a student of Gamaliel.[b] He carefully taught me everything about the law of our ancestors. I was very serious about serving God, just as are all of you here today. 4 I hurt the people who followed the Way of Jesus. Some of them were even killed. I arrested men and women and put them in jail. 5 The high priest and the whole council of Jewish elders can tell you that this is true. These leaders gave me letters to the Jewish brothers in Damascus. So I was going there to arrest these people and bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “But something happened to me on my way to Damascus. It was about noon when I came near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed all around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you doing things against me?’ 8 I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The voice said, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth. I am the One you are trying to hurt.’ 9 The men who were with me did not understand the voice. But they saw the light. 10 I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord answered, ‘Get up and go to Damascus. There you will be told about all the things I have planned for you to do.’ 11 I could not see, because the bright light had made me blind. So the men led me into Damascus.
12 “There a man named Ananias came to me. He was a religious man; he obeyed the law of Moses. All the Jews who lived there respected him. 13 Ananias came to me, stood by me, and said, ‘Brother Saul, see again!’ Immediately I was able to see him. 14 Ananias told me, ‘The God of our fathers chose you long ago. He chose you to know his plan. He chose you to see the Righteous One and to hear words from him. 15 You will be his witness to all people. You will tell them about the things you have seen and heard. 16 Now, why wait any longer? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away. Do this, trusting in him to save you.’
17 “Later, I returned to Jerusalem. I was praying in the Temple, and I saw a vision. 18 I saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem now! The people here will not accept the truth about me.’ 19 But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I put the believers in jail and beat them. 20 They also know that I was there when Stephen, your witness, was killed. I stood there and agreed that they should kill him. I even held the coats of the men who were killing him!’ 21 But the Lord said to me, ‘Leave now. I will send you far away to the non-Jewish people.’”
22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they began shouting, “Get rid of him! A man like this doesn’t deserve to live!” 23 They shouted and threw off their coats.[c] They threw dust into the air.[d]
24 Then the commander ordered the soldiers to take Paul into the army building and beat him. The commander wanted to make Paul tell why the people were shouting against him like this. 25 So the soldiers were tying him up, preparing to beat him. But Paul said to an officer there, “Do you have the right to beat a Roman citizen[e] who has not been proven guilty?”
26 When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and told him about it. The officer said, “Do you know what you are doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”
27 The commander came to Paul and said, “Tell me, are you really a Roman citizen?”
He answered, “Yes.”
28 The commander said, “I paid a lot of money to become a Roman citizen.”
But Paul said, “I was born a citizen.”
29 The men who were preparing to question Paul moved away from him immediately. The commander was frightened because he had already tied Paul, and Paul was a Roman citizen.
Paul Speaks to Jewish Leaders
30 The next day the commander decided to learn why the Jews were accusing Paul. So he ordered the leading priests and the Jewish council to meet. The commander took Paul’s chains off. Then he brought Paul out and stood him before their meeting.
Footnotes
- 21:40; 22:2 Jewish language Aramaic, the language of the Jews in the first century.
- 22:3 Gamaliel A very important teacher of the Pharisees, a Jewish religious group (Acts 5:34).
- 22:23 threw off their coats This showed that the Jews were very angry at Paul.
- 22:23 threw dust into the air This showed even greater anger.
- 22:25 Roman citizen Roman law said that Roman citizens must not be beaten before they had a trial.
Acts 22
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
22 “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I now make before you.”
2 When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew,[a] they became even more quiet. Then he said:
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. 4 I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
6 “While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Then he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth[b] whom you are persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.’ 11 Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.
12 “A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews living there, 13 came to me; and standing beside me, he said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; 15 for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’
Paul Sent to the Gentiles
17 “After I had returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw Jesus[c] saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And while the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing by, approving and keeping the coats of those who killed him.’ 21 Then he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
Paul and the Roman Tribune
22 Up to this point they listened to him, but then they shouted, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” 23 And while they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and tossing dust into the air, 24 the tribune directed that he was to be brought into the barracks, and ordered him to be examined by flogging, to find out the reason for this outcry against him. 25 But when they had tied him up with thongs,[d] Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who is uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen.” 27 The tribune came and asked Paul,[e] “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “It cost me a large sum of money to get my citizenship.” Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.” 29 Immediately those who were about to examine him drew back from him; and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
Paul before the Council
30 Since he wanted to find out what Paul[f] was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He brought Paul down and had him stand before them.
Footnotes
- Acts 22:2 That is, Aramaic
- Acts 22:8 Gk the Nazorean
- Acts 22:18 Gk him
- Acts 22:25 Or up for the lashes
- Acts 22:27 Gk him
- Acts 22:30 Gk he
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.