^26:13about noon along the road, Your Majesty,⁴⁰ I saw a light from heaven,⁴¹ brighter than the sun, shining everywhere around⁴² me and those traveling with me. ^26:14When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,⁴³ ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself⁴⁴ by kicking against the goads.’⁴⁵^26:15So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord replied,⁴⁶ ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

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Footnotes

40 Grk “O King.”
41 Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
42 The word “everywhere” has been supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning of περιλάμψαν (perilampsan). Otherwise the modern reader might think that each of the individuals were encircled by lights or halos. See also Acts 9:7; 22:6, 9.
43 Grk “in the Hebrew language.” See Acts 22:7 and 9:4.
44 Grk “It is hard for you.”
45 “Goads” are pointed sticks used to direct a draft animal (an idiom for stubborn resistance). See κέντρον 2. Sayings which contain the imagery used here (kicking against the goads) were also found in Greek writings; see Pindar, Pythians 2.94–96; Euripides, Bacchae 795.
46 Grk “said.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, 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.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

“Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

“I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.

NLTNew Living Translation

About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’

“ ‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

In the middle of the day along the road, O king, I saw a light from heaven, more than the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who were traveling with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Aramaic language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads!’ So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

KJV 1900King James Version

At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

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