³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed^(A)

²³ but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles,^(A)

⁷ This honor, then, is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,^[a]

⁸ and

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.^(B)

¹⁴ He will become a sanctuary, a stone one strikes against; for both houses of Israel he will become a rock one stumbles over, a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.^{(A) 15} And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”^(B)

⁴⁴ The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”^[a]

The Conversion of Saul

9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest^{(A) 2} and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.^{(B) 4} He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”^{(C) 5} He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” ⁷ The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.^{(D) 8} Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing;^[a] so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰ Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”^{(E) 11} The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying,^{(F) 12} and he has seen in a vision^[b] a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” ¹³ But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.”^{(G) 15} But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;^{(H) 16} I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”^{(I) 17} So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul^[c] and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”^{(J) 18} And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, ¹⁹ and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul Preaches in Damascus

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,^{(K) 20} and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

¹⁴ If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory,^[a] which is the Spirit of God,^[b] is resting on you.^[c](A)

The Example of Jesus

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,^[a] and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,^{(A) 2} looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of^[b] the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.^(B)

³ Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners,^[c] so that you may not grow weary in your souls or lose heart.^(C)