God Shall Scatter His Enemies

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

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.” ^7 (K)The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, ^(L)hearing the voice but seeing no one. ⁸ Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, ^(M)he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰ Now there was a disciple at Damascus named ^(N)Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, ^(O)“Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man ^(P)of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, ¹² and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and ^(Q)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, ^(R)how much evil he has done to ^(S)your ^(T)saints at Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And here he has authority from ^(U)the chief priests to bind all who ^(V)call on your name.” ¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for ^(W)he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name ^(X)before the Gentiles and ^(Y)kings and the children of Israel. ¹⁶ For ^(Z)I will show him how much ^(AA)he must suffer ^(AB)for the sake of my name.” ¹⁷ So ^(AC)Ananias departed and entered the house. And ^(AD)laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and ^(AE)be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and ^(AF)he regained his sight. Then ^(AG)he rose and was baptized; ¹⁹ and ^(AH)taking food, he was strengthened.

Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues

For ^(AI)some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. ²⁰ And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ^(AJ)“He is the Son of God.” ²¹ And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who ^(AK)made havoc ^(AL)in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” ²² But Saul ^(AM)increased all the more in strength, and ^(AN)confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving ^(AO)that Jesus was the Christ.

Some Greeks Seek Jesus

²⁰ Now ^(A)among those who went up to worship at the feast were some ^(B)Greeks. ²¹ So these came to ^(C)Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went and told ^(D)Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³ And Jesus answered them, ^(E)“The hour has come ^(F)for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, ^(G)unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ^25 (H)Whoever loves his life loses it, and ^(I)whoever ^(J)hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must ^(K)follow me; and ^(L)where I am, there will my servant be also. ^(M)If anyone serves me, ^(N)the Father will honor him.

The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

^27 (O)“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, ^(P)save me from ^(Q)this hour’? But ^(R)for this purpose I have come to ^(S)this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name.” Then ^(T)a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ^(U)“An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰ Jesus answered, ^(V)“This voice has come for your sake, not mine. ^31 (W)Now is the judgment of this world; now will ^(X)the ruler of this world ^(Y)be cast out. ³² And I, ^(Z)when I am lifted up from the earth, ^(AA)will draw ^(AB)all people to myself.” ³³ He said this ^(AC)to show by what kind of death he was going to die. ³⁴ So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that ^(AD)the Christ remains forever. How can you say that ^(AE)the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵ So Jesus said to them, ^(AF)“The light is among you ^(AG)for a little while longer. ^(AH)Walk while you have the light, lest darkness ^(AI)overtake you. ^(AJ)The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become ^(AK)sons of light.”

The Unbelief of the People

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. ³⁷ Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, ^38 (AL)so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

³⁹ Therefore they ^(AN)could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

⁴¹ Isaiah said these things because ^(AQ)he saw his glory and ^(AR)spoke of him. ⁴² Nevertheless, ^(AS)many even of the authorities believed in him, but ^(AT)for fear of the Pharisees they did not ^(AU)confess it, so that they would not be ^(AV)put out of the synagogue; ^43 (AW)for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Jesus Came to Save the World

⁴⁴ And Jesus cried out and said, ^(AX)“Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but ^(AY)in him who sent me. ⁴⁵ And ^(AZ)whoever ^(BA)sees me sees him who sent me. ^46 (BB)I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. ⁴⁷ If anyone ^(BC)hears my words and does not keep them, ^(BD)I do not judge him; for ^(BE)I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ^48 (BF)The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; ^(BG)the word that I have spoken will judge him ^(BH)on the last day. ⁴⁹ For ^(BI)I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father ^(BJ)who sent me has himself given me ^(BK)a commandment—what to say and what to speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”