Acts 9:2–27

²did ask from him letters to Damascus, unto the synagogues, that if he may find any being of the way, both men and women, he may bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³And in the going, he came nigh to Damascus, and suddenly there shone round about him a light from the heaven, ⁴and having fallen upon the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?’ ⁵And he said, ‘Who art thou, Lord?’ and the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute; hard for thee at the pricks to kick;’ ⁶trembling also, and astonished, he said, ‘Lord, what dost thou wish me to do?’ and the Lord said unto him, ‘Arise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what it behoveth thee to do.’ ⁷And the men who are journeying with him stood speechless, hearing indeed the voice but seeing no one, ⁸and Saul arose from the earth, and his eyes having been opened, he beheld no one, and leading him by the hand they brought him to Damascus, ⁹and he was three days without seeing, and he did neither eat nor drink.

¹⁰And there was a certain disciple in Damascus, by name Ananias, and the Lord said unto him in a vision, ‘Ananias;’ and he said, ‘Behold me, Lord;’ ¹¹and the Lord saith unto him, ‘Having risen, go on unto the street that is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas, one by name Saul of Tarsus, for, lo, he doth pray, ¹²and he saw in a vision a man, by name Ananias, coming in, and putting a hand on him, that he may see again.’ ¹³And Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how many evils he did to Thy saints in Jerusalem, ¹⁴and here he hath authority from the chief priests, to bind all those calling on Thy name.’ ¹⁵And the Lord said unto him, ‘Be going on, because a choice vessel to Me is this one, to bear My name before nations and kings—the sons also of Israel; ¹⁶for I will shew him how many things it behoveth him for My name to suffer.’ ¹⁷And Ananias went away, and did enter into the house, and having put upon him his hands, said, ‘Saul, brother, the Lord hath sent me—Jesus who did appear to thee in the way in which thou wast coming—that thou mayest see again, and mayest be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁸And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, he saw again also presently, and having risen, was baptized, ¹⁹and having received nourishment, was strengthened, and Saul was with the disciples in Damascus certain days, ²⁰and immediately in the synagogues he was preaching the Christ, that he is the Son of God. ²¹And all those hearing were amazed, and said, ‘Is not this he who laid waste in Jerusalem those calling on this name, and hither to this intent had come, that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?’ ²²And Saul was still more strengthened, and he was confounding the Jews dwelling in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

²³And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him, ²⁴and their counsel against him was known to Saul; they were also watching the gates both day and night, that they may kill him, ²⁵and the disciples having taken him, by night did let him down by the wall, letting down in a basket. ²⁶And Saul, having come to Jerusalem, did try to join himself to the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he is a disciple, ²⁷and Barnabas having taken him, brought him unto the apostles, and did declare to them how in the way he saw the Lord, and that he spake to him, and how in Damascus he was speaking boldly in the name of Jesus.