¹² Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

¹³ At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

¹⁴ And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

¹⁵ And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

¹⁶ But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

¹⁷ Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

¹⁸ To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

¹⁹ Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

²⁰ But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

²¹ For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

²² Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

²³ That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

69 Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

² I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

³ I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

⁴ They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

⁵ O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

⁶ Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.

⁷ Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

⁸ I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.

⁹ For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

¹⁰ When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

¹¹ I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.

¹² They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

¹³ But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

¹⁴ Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

¹⁵ Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

¹⁶ Hear me, O Lord; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

¹⁷ And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

¹⁸ Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.

¹⁹ Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.

²⁰ Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

²¹ They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

²² Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.

²³ Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

²⁴ Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

²⁵ Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.

²⁶ For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.

²⁷ Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.

²⁸ Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

²⁹ But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

³⁰ I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

³¹ This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

³² The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.

³³ For the Lord heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

³⁴ Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.

³⁵ For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

³⁶ The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

70 Make haste, o God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord.

² Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.

³ Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.

⁴ Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

⁵ But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying.