² It has seemed good to me to show the ^(A)signs and wonders that the ^(B)Most High God has done for me.

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, ^(A)“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the ^(B)Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then ^(C)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.

^9 (A)“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of ^(B)Jesus of Nazareth. ^10 (C)And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority ^(D)from the chief priests, but ^(E)when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. ¹¹ And ^(F)I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them ^(G)blaspheme, and ^(H)in raging fury against them I ^(I)persecuted them even to foreign cities.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

¹² “In this connection ^(J)I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. ¹³ At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. ¹⁴ And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me ^(K)in the Hebrew language,^[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But rise and ^(L)stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, ^(M)to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you,

^3 (A)“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated ^(B)at the feet of ^(C)Gamaliel^{[a] (D)}according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, ^(E)being zealous for God ^(F)as all of you are this day. ^4 (G)I persecuted ^(H)this Way ^(I)to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, ⁵ as ^(J)the high priest and ^(K)the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to ^(L)the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

^6 (M)“As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone 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 ^(N)Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ ^9 (O)Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand^[b] the voice of the one who was speaking to me. ¹⁰ And I said, ^(P)‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ ¹¹ And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

¹² “And ^(Q)one Ananias, a devout man ^(R)according to the law, ^(S)well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, ^13 (T)came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And ^(U)at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. ¹⁴ And he said, ^(V)‘The God of our fathers ^(W)appointed you to know his will, ^(X)to see ^(Y)the Righteous One and ^(Z)to hear a voice from his mouth; ¹⁵ for ^(AA)you will be a witness for him to everyone of what ^(AB)you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why do you wait? ^(AC)Rise and be baptized and ^(AD)wash away your sins, ^(AE)calling on his name.’

How Great Are Your Works

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.

¹⁹ Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, ^(A)give glory to the Lord God of Israel and ^(B)give praise^[a] to him. And ^(C)tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”