Acts 21:40-22:10

New International Version

⁴⁰ After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned^(A) to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic^[a]:^(B) 22 ¹ “Brothers and fathers,^(C) listen now to my defense.”

² When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,^(D) they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: ³ “I am a Jew,^(E) born in Tarsus^(F) of Cilicia,^(G) but brought up in this city. I studied under^(H) Gamaliel^(I) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.^(J) I was just as zealous^(K) for God as any of you are today. ⁴ I persecuted^(L) the followers of this Way^(M) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,^{(N) 5} as the high priest and all the Council^(O) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates^(P) in Damascus,^(Q) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶ “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.^{(R) 7} I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

⁸ “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,^(S) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ⁹ My companions saw the light,^(T) but they did not understand the voice^(U) of him who was speaking to me.

¹⁰ “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’^(V)