⁹ “So ^(A)I thought to myself that I had to act in strong opposition to ^(B)the name of Jesus ^[a]of Nazareth. ¹⁰ And this is ^[b]just what I ^(C)did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the ^[c]saints in prisons, after ^(D)receiving authority from the chief priests, but I also ^(E)cast my vote against them when they were being put to death. ¹¹ And ^(F)as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was ^(G)extremely enraged at them, I kept pursuing them ^(H)even to ^[d]foreign cities.

¹² “^[e]While so engaged, ^(I)as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, ¹³ at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, ^[f]brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying with me. ¹⁴ And when we had ^(J)all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the ^[g](K)Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? ^[h]It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But get up and ^(L)stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to ^(M)appoint you as a ^(N)servant and ^(O)a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you,

^13 (A)Hold on to the ^(B)example of ^(C)sound words ^(D)which you have heard from me, in the ^(E)faith and love which are in ^(F)Christ Jesus.