³ He^(A) continued, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel^(B) according to the strictness of our ancestral law. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.^{(C) 4} I persecuted this Way^(D) to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail,^{(E) 5} as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.^(F)

Paul’s Testimony

⁶ “As^(G) I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around 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?’

“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’ ⁹ Now those who were with me saw the light,^[a] but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.^(H)

¹⁰ “I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

“The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.’

¹¹ “Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of the light,^[b] I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus.^{(I) 12} Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good reputation with all the Jews living there,^{(J) 13} came and stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him. ¹⁴ And he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has appointed^(K) you to know his will, to see^(L) the Righteous One,^(M) and to hear the words from his mouth, ¹⁵ since you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.^{(N) 16} And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins,^(O) calling on his name.’^(P)

¹⁷ “After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance^{(Q) 18} and saw him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹ “But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten.^{(R) 20} And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval^[c] and guarding the clothes of those who killed him.’^(S)

²¹ “He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”^(T)