Book of Common Prayer

^37-38 ust as the soldiers were going to take Paul into their army house, he said to the officer, `May I tell you something?' `So, you speak the Greek language!' said the officer. `I thought you were the man from the country of Egypt who made trouble a while ago. I thought you were the one who led four thousand bad men into the desert.'

³⁹ Paul said, `I am a Jew. I was born in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. I belong to a great city. Please let me talk to these people.'

⁴⁰ So the officer let him talk. Paul stood on the steps and put up his hand. Then all the people were very quiet. He talked to them in the Jews' language.

22 Paul said, `Men, brothers, and fathers, listen while I tell you my side of this matter.'

^2-3 hen the people heard him speak in the Jews' language, they were even more quiet. Then Paul said, `I am a Jew. I was born in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. But I was raised here in this city. Gamaliel was my teacher. He taught me very well in the law of our fathers. I was trying hard to obey God, just as you all are today.

⁴ I troubled very much the people who believed this Way. I even killed them. I had men and women tied and put into prison.

⁵ The high priest and all the leaders know that this is true about me. They wrote letters for me to carry to the leaders of the Jews in the city of Damascus. I went to have the Christians there tied and brought to Jerusalem to be punished.'

⁶ `I was on my way and was near Damascus. It was about midday. All at once a very bright light from the sky shone all around me.

⁷ I fell to the ground and heard someone say to me, "Saul, Saul, why are you troubling me?"

⁸ I said, "Who are you, Lord?" He answered, "I am Jesus of Nazareth. You are troubling me."

⁹ The men who were with me saw the light. They were afraid. But they did not hear the one who spoke to me.

¹⁰ Then I said, "Lord, what shall I do?" And the Lord said to me, "Get up and go to Damascus. There someone will tell you all you must do."

¹¹ I could not see because the light was so bright. My friends led me by the hand to Damascus.

¹² `A man named Ananias was there. He obeyed the law of Moses, and all the Jews who lived there spoke well of him.

¹³ He came to see me. He stood by my side and said to me, "Brother Saul, you can see again!" And right then I was able to see him.

¹⁴ He said, "The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will. He chose you to see the One who is right and to hear him speak.

¹⁵ You will speak for him. You will tell all the people what you have seen and heard.

¹⁶ Now, why do you wait? Get up and be baptised. Wash away your wrong ways by calling on the name of the Lord!" '

⁴⁶ Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples left Jericho, many people followed him. A blind man named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. He was begging for money.

⁴⁷ He heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing. So he shouted, `Jesus, Son of David! Help me!'

⁴⁸ Many people said, `Be quiet!' But he shouted louder, `Son of David! Help me!

⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, `Call him.' They called the blind man and said to him, `Be glad! Come, get up! He is calling you.'

⁵⁰ The man threw off his coat, jumped up, and went to Jesus.

⁵¹ Jesus said, `What do you want me to do for you?' The blind man said to him, `Teacher, I want to see.'

⁵² Jesus said, `Go home. Because you believe in me, your faith has made you well.' Right then he was able to see. He followed Jesus on the road.