Acts 22:1-11 ▼

1 |Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I am now making before you.|

2 When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet, and he continued:

3 |I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia but raised in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the strict ways of our ancestral Law. I am as zealous for God as all of you are today.

4 I persecuted this Way, even executing people, and kept tying up both men and women and putting them in prison,

5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. I also received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, and I was going there to tie up those who were there and bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 |But while I was on my way and approaching Damascus about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.

7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?'

8 |I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' |He told me, 'I'm Jesus from Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'

9 The men who were with me saw the light but didn't understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

10 |Then I asked, 'What am I to do, Lord?' |The Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are destined to do.'

11 Since I could not see because of the brightness of the light, the men who were with me took me by the hand and led me into Damascus.