Acts 22:4–16

⁴I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison,^{* 5}as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment.^*

Paul Tells of His Conversion

⁶“While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me.^{* 7}I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ⁸I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Then he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth^b whom you are persecuting.’ ⁹Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.^{* 10}I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.’^{* 11}Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.^*

¹²“A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews living there,^{* 13}came to me, and standing beside me, he said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. ¹⁴Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear his own voice,^{* 15}for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard.^{* 16}And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’^*