^3 (A)Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. ⁴ And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ^(B)me?” ⁵ And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, ^(C)whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But ^(D)rise and enter the city, and you will be told ^(E)what you are to do.”

^6 (A)“As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. ⁷ And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ⁸ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am ^(B)Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ ^9 (C)Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand^[a] the voice of the one who was speaking to me. ¹⁰ And I said, ^(D)‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’

Paul Tells of His Conversion

¹² “In this connection ^(A)I journeyed 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, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. ¹⁴ And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me ^(B)in the Hebrew language,^[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 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 rise and ^(C)stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, ^(D)to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, ^17 (E)delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—^(F)to whom I ^(G)am sending you ^18 (H)to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from ^(I)the power of Satan to God, that they may receive ^(J)forgiveness of sins and ^(K)a place among those who are sanctified ^(L)by faith in me.’

¹⁹ “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to ^(M)the heavenly vision,

⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, ^(A)he appeared also to me.

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]