¹² “A man named Ananias came to see me.^(A) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.^{(B) 13} He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

¹⁴ “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors^(C) has chosen you to know his will and to see^(D) the Righteous One^(E) and to hear words from his mouth. ¹⁵ You will be his witness^(F) to all people of what you have seen^(G) and heard. ¹⁶ And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized^(H) and wash your sins away,^(I) calling on his name.’^(J)

¹⁷ “When I returned to Jerusalem^(K) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance^{(L) 18} and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹ “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison^(M) and beat^(N) those who believe in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of your martyr^[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’^(O)

²¹ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”^(P)