Acts 22:1-11 ▼

1 “Men, brothers, and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”

2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter; and he said,

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but having been brought up in this city, having been instructed at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strictness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today,

4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering both men and women into prisons,

5 as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brothers, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.

6 “But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me,

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 Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’

9 And those who were with me beheld the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

10 And I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been determined for you to do.’

11 But since I could not see because of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who were with me, I came into Damascus.