Book of Common Prayer

9 Saul was still very angry with the Lord's disciples. He said he would kill them. He went to the high priest.

² He asked him for letters to take to the meeting places at Damascus. In this way he was given the power to catch any men or women disciples. He could tie them and bring them back to Jerusalem.

³ He went on his way. All at once, near the city of Damascus, a light from the sky shone around him.

⁴ He fell to the ground and heard someone say, `Saul, Saul, why are you troubling me?'

⁵ Saul said, `Who are you, Lord?' The Lord said, `I am Jesus. You are troubling me.

⁶ But get up and go to the city. There you will be told what you must do.'

⁷ The men who had come with Saul stood there. They did not say a word. They heard a voice but did not see anyone.

⁸ Saul got up off the ground. When he opened his eyes, he was blind. They took his hand and led him to Damascus.

⁹ For three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink.

²⁷ Do not work for the food that spoils, but work for the food that will never spoil, the food that will give you life for ever. The Son of Man will give you that food. God my Father has chosen him to do that.'

²⁸ They asked him, `What works does God ask us to do?'

²⁹ Jesus answered them, `The work that God asks you to do is to believe in the one whom he has sent.'

³⁰ They said, `What big work will you do? We want to see it and believe you. What work are you are going to do?

^31-32 ur fathers ate bread in the wilderness. The holy writings say, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat." ' Jesus said to them, `I tell you the truth. It was not Moses who gave you that bread from heaven. But my Father gives you true bread from heaven.

³³ He who comes down from heaven is the bread that God gives. He is the one who gives life to the world.'

³⁴ They said to him, `Lord, give us this bread always!'

³⁵ Jesus said, `I am the bread that gives life. Anyone who comes to me will never be hungry. Anyone who believes in me will never be thirsty.

³⁶ But I said to you that you have seen me, and yet you will not believe in me.

³⁷ All those whom my Father gives me, they will come to me. I will never turn anyone away who comes to me.

³⁸ I did not come down from heaven to do what I myself want to do. I came to do what the one who sent me wants me to do.

³⁹ My Father sent me. He wants me to lose nothing that he has given me. And he wants me to raise it up on the last day.

⁴⁰ My Father wants everyone who sees his Son and believes in him to live for ever. I will raise him up on the last day.'