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

8 “And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am aJesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’

9 “And those who were with me asaw the light, to be sure, but bdid not 1understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

10 “And I said, ‘aWhat shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’

11 “But since I acould not see because of the 1brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.

12 “A certain aAnanias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and bwell spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

13 came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘aBrother Saul, receive your sight!’ And 1bat that very time I looked up at him.

14 “And he said, ‘aThe God of our fathers has bappointed you to know His will and to csee the dRighteous One and to hear an 1utterance from His mouth.

15 ‘For you will be aa witness for Him to all men of bwhat you have seen and heard.

16 ‘Now why do you delay? aGet up and be baptized, and bwash away your sins, ccalling on His name.’

17 “It happened when I areturned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I bfell into a trance,

18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘aMake haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’

19 “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another aI used to imprison and bbeat those who believed in You.

20 ‘And awhen the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’

21 “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away ato the Gentiles.’ ”