²⁹ Jesus answered, “The most important is, ^(A)‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, ^(B)the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ^31 (C)The second is this: ^(D)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment ^(E)greater than these.”

⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of ^(A)John. You shall be called ^(B)Cephas” (which means ^(C)Peter^[a]).

⁸ But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, ^(A)“Depart from me, for ^(B)I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ⁹ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”^{[a] 11} And when they had brought their boats to land, ^(C)they left everything and followed him.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

^13 (A)Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say ^(B)John the Baptist, others say ^(C)Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, ^(D)“You are ^(E)the Christ, ^(F)the Son of ^(G)the living God.”

¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him ^(A)the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, ^(B)you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed ^(C)my sheep.

³⁸ And Peter said to them, ^(A)“Repent and ^(B)be baptized every one of you ^(C)in the name of Jesus Christ ^(D)for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive ^(E)the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Conversion of Saul

9 But Saul, ^(A)still ^(B)breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to ^(C)the high priest ² and asked him for letters ^(D)to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to ^(E)the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ^3 (F)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 ^(G)me?” ⁵ And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, ^(H)whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But ^(I)rise and enter the city, and you will be told ^(J)what you are to do.”