3. As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him.

4. He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him,"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

5. He said, "Who are you, Lord?"The Lord said,"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

6. Bu trise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

7. The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one.

8. Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

9. He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.

10. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision,"Ananias!"He said, "Behold, it's me, Lord."

11. The Lord said to him,"Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judahfor one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying,

12. and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight."

13. But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem.

14. Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name."

15. But the Lord said to him,"Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel.

16. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake."

17. Ananias departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

18. Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized.

19. He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

20. Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Christ, that he is the Son of God.

21. All who heard him were amazed, and said, "Isn't this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!"

22. But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

4. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5. As also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

6. As I made my journey, and came close to Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky.

7. I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me,'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

8. I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' He said to me,'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.'

9. "Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn't understand the voice of him who spoke to me.

10. I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me,'Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.'

11. When I couldn't see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

12. One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

13. came to me, and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' In that very hour I looked up at him.

14. He said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

15. For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16. Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'

17. "When I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

18. and saw him saying to me,'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.'

19. I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

9. "I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10. This I also did in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

11. Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12. "Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,

13. at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.

14. When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language,'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

15. "I said, 'Who are you, Lord?'"He said,'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren't you my work in the Lord?

and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.

For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God, and ravaged it.