New Testament in a Year

Chapter 9

Conversion of Saul on the Road to Damascus.^{[a] 1} Now, Saul,^[b] still breathing threats and violence against the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,^[c] authorizing him to arrest any men or women there who were followers of the Way and bring them back to Jerusalem.

³ While he was drawing near Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from the sky flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” ⁵ He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶ Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you have to do.”

⁷ The men who were traveling with him stood there speechless, for they had heard the voice but had seen no one. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was unable to see. Therefore, they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ For three days, he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰ Saul’s Baptism. There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. In a vision, the Lord said to him, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the Street called Straight,^[d] to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying, ¹² and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.”

¹³ Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and how much harm he has done to your saints^[e] in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ Now he has come here with authority from the chief priests to imprison all who invoke your name.”

¹⁵ However, the Lord said to him, “Go, for this is the man I have chosen as a vessel to bring my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. ¹⁶ I myself will show him how much he will have to suffer for the sake of my name.”

¹⁷ And so Ananias went forth and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on your way has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”^{[f] 18} Immediately, something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized; ¹⁹ then, after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul Preaches in Damascus. For several days, Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus, ²⁰ and he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. ²¹ All those who heard him were astounded, and they said, “Is not this the man who in Jerusalem was persecuting those who invoked this name? And did he not come here for the specific purpose of arresting them so that they might be taken to the chief priests?”