¹⁹ So when he had received food, he was strengthened. ^(A)Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

Saul Preaches Christ

²⁰ Immediately he preached ^[a]the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

²¹ Then all who heard were amazed, and said, ^(B)“Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”

²² But Saul increased all the more in strength, ^(C)and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

¹⁵ But when it pleased God, ^(A)who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, ^16 (B)to reveal His Son in me, that ^(C)I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with ^(D)flesh and blood, ¹⁷ nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

Saul Escapes Death

²³ Now after many days were past, ^(A)the Jews plotted to kill him. ^24 (B)But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. ²⁵ Then the disciples took him by night and ^(C)let him down through the wall in a large basket.

Saul at Jerusalem

²⁶ And ^(D)when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. ^27 (E)But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, ^(F)and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ So ^(G)he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. ²⁹ And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the ^(H)Hellenists,^{[a] (I)}but they attempted to kill him. ³⁰ When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

^21 (A)Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which ^(B)were in Christ. ²³ But they were ^(C)hearing only, “He who formerly ^(D)persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they ^(E)glorified God in me.