¹³ For you have heard of ^(A)my former way of life in Judaism, how I ^(B)used to persecute ^(C)the church of God beyond measure and ^(D)tried to destroy it; ¹⁴ and I ^(E)was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my ^[a]countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ^(F)ancestral traditions. ¹⁵ But when ^[b]He who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and ^(G)called me through His grace was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal His Son in me so that I might ^(H)preach Him among the Gentiles, ^(I)I did not immediately consult with ^[c](J)flesh and blood, ^17 (K)nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to ^(L)Damascus.

¹⁸ Then ^(M)three years later I went up ^(N)to Jerusalem to ^[d]become acquainted with ^[e](O)Cephas, and stayed with him for fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I did not see another one of the apostles except ^[f](P)James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ (Now in what I am writing to you, ^[g]I assure you ^(Q)before God that I am not lying.) ²¹ Then ^(R)I went into the regions of ^(S)Syria and ^(T)Cilicia. ²² I was still unknown by ^[h]sight to ^(U)the churches of Judea which are ^(V)in Christ; ²³ but they only kept hearing, “The man who once persecuted us is now preaching ^(W)the faith which he once ^(X)tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they ^(Y)were glorifying God ^[i]because of me.

^5 (A)circumcised the eighth day, of the ^(B)nation of Israel, of the ^(C)tribe of Benjamin, a ^(D)Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, ^(E)a Pharisee;