¶“Brothers Men, brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”

¶When they heard that he spoke to addressed them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quieted down. He said,

“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are this day.

I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.^[a]

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.^[a]

It happened that, as I made my journey, and came close to Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from the sky a great light around me.^[a]

I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’^[a]

I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’^[a]

¶“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.^[a]

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.’^[a]

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.^[a]

One Ananias, a devout heedful man according in respect to the law, well reported of being attested by all the Jews who lived living (in Damascus),^[a]

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

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.

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

Now why do you wait hesitate? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’^[a]

¶“It happened that, when I had returned to Jerusalem,^[a] and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

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

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

When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was being shed, I also myself was also standing by, and consenting to approving of his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed the ones killing him.’^[a]

¶“He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”^[a]

¶They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up raised their voice, and said saying, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”