³ Now as he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and ^(A)suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; ⁴ and ^(B)he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ⁵ And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, ⁶ but get up and enter the city, and ^(C)it will be told to you what you must do.” ⁷ The men who traveled with him ^(D)stood speechless, ^(E)hearing the ^[a]voice but seeing no one. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, and ^(F)though his eyes were open, he ^[b]could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into ^(G)Damascus. ⁹ And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

^4 (A)I persecuted this ^(B)Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, ⁵ as also ^(C)the high priest and all ^(D)the Council of the elders ^[a]can testify. From them I also ^(E)received letters to ^(F)the brothers, and started off for ^(G)Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem ^[b]as prisoners to be punished.

⁶ “^(H)But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus at about noon, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all 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 ^(I)Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ ⁹ And those who were with me ^(J)saw the light, but ^(K)did not ^[c]understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.