¹⁹ Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them^(A) how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.^(A) Could this be the Messiah?”^(B)

²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language^(A) in all the earth:

⁴ “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,^(A) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. ⁵ They have known me for a long time^(B) and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect^(C) of our religion, living as a Pharisee.^{(D) 6} And now it is because of my hope^(E) in what God has promised our ancestors^(F) that I am on trial today. ⁷ This is the promise our twelve tribes^(G) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.^(H) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.^{(I) 8} Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?^(J)

⁹ “I too was convinced^(K) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose^(L) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.^{(M) 10} And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people^(N) in prison,^(O) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.^{(P) 11} Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,^(Q) and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

¹² “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. ¹³ About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. ¹⁴ We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice^(R) saying to me in Aramaic,^[a](S) ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

¹⁵ “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ¹⁶ ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.^(T) I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.^{(U) 17} I will rescue you^(V) from your own people and from the Gentiles.^(W) I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes^(X) and turn them from darkness to light,^(Y) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins^(Z) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’^(AA)

¹⁹ “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient^(AB) to the vision from heaven. ²⁰ First to those in Damascus,^(AC) then to those in Jerusalem^(AD) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,^(AE) I preached that they should repent^(AF) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.^{(AG) 21} That is why some Jews seized me^(AH) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.^{(AI) 22} But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen^(AJ)— ²³ that the Messiah would suffer^(AK) and, as the first to rise from the dead,^(AL) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”^(AM)

²⁴ At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,^(AN) Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning^(AO) is driving you insane.”

²⁵ “I am not insane, most excellent^(AP) Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. ²⁶ The king is familiar with these things,^(AQ) and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”^(AR)

²⁹ Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”^(AS)

22 ¹ “Brothers and fathers,^(A) listen now to my defense.”

² When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,^(B) they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: ³ “I am a Jew,^(C) born in Tarsus^(D) of Cilicia,^(E) but brought up in this city. I studied under^(F) Gamaliel^(G) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.^(H) I was just as zealous^(I) for God as any of you are today. ⁴ I persecuted^(J) the followers of this Way^(K) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,^{(L) 5} as the high priest and all the Council^(M) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates^(N) in Damascus,^(O) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶ “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.^{(P) 7} I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

⁸ “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,^(Q) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ⁹ My companions saw the light,^(R) but they did not understand the voice^(S) of him who was speaking to me.

¹⁰ “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’^{(T) 11} My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.^(U)

¹² “A man named Ananias came to see me.^(V) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.^{(W) 13} He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

¹⁴ “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors^(X) has chosen you to know his will and to see^(Y) the Righteous One^(Z) and to hear words from his mouth. ¹⁵ You will be his witness^(AA) to all people of what you have seen^(AB) and heard. ¹⁶ And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized^(AC) and wash your sins away,^(AD) calling on his name.’^(AE)

¹⁷ “When I returned to Jerusalem^(AF) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance^{(AG) 18} and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹ “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison^(AH) and beat^(AI) those who believe in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of your martyr^[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’^(AJ)

²¹ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”^(AK)

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Tree

⁹ A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery: