¹⁹ and ^(A)taking food, he was strengthened.

Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues

For ^(B)some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. ²⁰ And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ^(C)“He is the Son of God.” ²¹ And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who ^(D)made havoc ^(E)in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” ²² But Saul ^(F)increased all the more in strength, and ^(G)confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving ^(H)that Jesus was the Christ.

Saul Escapes from Damascus

^23 (I)When many days had passed, the Jews^[a] plotted to kill him, ²⁴ but their ^(J)plot became known to Saul. ^(K)They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, ²⁵ but his disciples took him by night and ^(L)let him down through an opening in the wall,^[b] lowering him in a basket.

Saul in Jerusalem

²⁶ And ^(M)when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷ But ^(N)Barnabas took him and ^(O)brought him to the apostles and declared to them ^(P)how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and ^(Q)how at Damascus he had ^(R)preached boldly in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ So he went ^(S)in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ And he spoke and disputed against ^(T)the Hellenists.^[c] But ^(U)they were seeking to kill him. ³⁰ And when ^(V)the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off ^(W)to Tarsus.

³¹ So ^(X)the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And ^(Y)walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, ^(Z)it multiplied.

¹⁶ For ^(A)I will show him how much ^(B)he must suffer ^(C)for the sake of my name.”

¹⁵ But when he ^(A)who had set me apart ^(B)before I was born,^[a] and who ^(C)called me by his grace, ¹⁶ was pleased to reveal his Son to^[b] me, in order ^(D)that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;^{[c] 17} nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

¹⁸ Then ^(E)after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.

²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the ^(A)forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(B)beaten with rods. ^(C)Once I was stoned. Three times I ^(D)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^(E)danger from my own people, ^(F)danger from Gentiles, ^(G)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ^27 (H)in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, ^(I)in hunger and thirst, often without food,^[a] in cold and exposure. ²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for ^(J)all the churches.