Acts 26:9–18

⁹Indeed, I myself thought it was necessary to do many things opposed to the name of Jesus the Nazarene, ¹⁰which I also did in Jerusalem, and not only did I lock up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when^* they were being executed, I cast my vote^b against them.^{* 11}And throughout all the synagogues I punished them often and^* tried to force^* them^* to blaspheme, and because I^* was enraged at them beyond measure, I was pursuing them^* even as far as to foreign cities. ¹²In this activity^c I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and full power of the chief priests. ¹³In 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. ¹⁴And 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!’ ¹⁵So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶But get up and stand on your feet, because for this reason I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and witness both to the things in which you saw me and to the things in which I will appear to you, ¹⁷rescuing you from the people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you, ¹⁸to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’