¹⁹ Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also coming with us? Go back, and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home.^{(A) 20} You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your kinsfolk with you, and may the Lord show^[a] steadfast love and faithfulness to you.”^{(B) 21} But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.”^{(C) 22} David said to Ittai, “Go then, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on, with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. ²³ The whole country wept aloud as all the people passed by; the king crossed the Wadi Kidron, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.

²⁴ Abiathar came up, and Zadok also, with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city.^{(D) 25} Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and the place where it stays.^{(E) 26} But if he says, ‘I take no pleasure in you,’ here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.”^{(F) 27} The king also said to the priest Zadok, “Look,^[b] go back to the city in peace, you and Abiathar,^[c] with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar.^{(G) 28} See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”^{(H) 29} So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

³⁰ But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot, and all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.^{(I) 31} David was told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, “O Lord, I pray you, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”^(J)

Hushai Becomes David’s Spy

³² When David came to the summit, where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and earth on his head.^{(K) 33} David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.^{(L) 34} But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.^{(M) 35} The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to the priests Zadok and Abiathar.^{(N) 36} Their two sons are with them there, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan, and by them you shall report to me everything you hear.”^{(O) 37} So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.^(P)

Paul Defends Himself

³⁷ Just as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” The tribune^[a] replied, “Do you know Greek? ³⁸ Then you are not the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?”^{(A) 39} Paul replied, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.”^{(B) 40} When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence, and when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew^[b] language, saying:^(C)

22 “Brothers^[c] and fathers, listen to the defense that I now make before you.”^(D)

² When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew,^[d] they became even more quiet. Then he said:^(E)

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.^{(F) 4} I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison,^{(G) 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.^(H)

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.^{(I) 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^[e] 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.^{(J) 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.’^{(K) 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.^(L)

¹² “A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews living there,^{(M) 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,^{(N) 15} for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard.^{(O) 16} And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’^(P)

The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

⁴⁶ They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”^{(A) 48} Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” ⁵⁰ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher,^[a] let me see again.”^{(B) 52} Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.^(C)