¹⁵ But when [God], who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased^{(A) 16} to reveal his Son to me,^(B) so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,^[a]

Chapter 9^[a]

Paul’s Rights as an Apostle. ¹ Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?^(A)

⁸ Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.^{(A) 9} For I am the least^[a] of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.^{(B) 10} But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God [that is] with me.

Chapter 9

Saul’s Conversion. ^1 [a]Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,^(A) went to the high priest^{(B) 2} and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,^[b] he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. ³ On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.^{(C) 4} He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”^{(D) 5} He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.^{(E) 6} Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.”^{(F) 7} The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one.^{(G) 8} Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;^[c] so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.^{(H) 9} For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

Saul’s Baptism. ^10 (I)There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying,^{(J) 12} and [in a vision] he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay [his] hands on him, that he may regain his sight.” ¹³ But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones^[d] in Jerusalem.^{(K) 14} And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.”^{(L) 15} But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites,^{(M) 16} and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.” ¹⁷ So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, ¹⁹ and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.^[e]

Saul Preaches in Damascus. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, ²⁰ and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.^{[f] 21} All who heard him were astounded and said, “Is not this the man who in Jerusalem ravaged those who call upon this name, and came here expressly to take them back in chains to the chief priests?” ²² But Saul grew all the stronger and confounded [the] Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah.

³ “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.^{(A) 4} I persecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.^{(B) 5} Even the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify on my behalf. For from them I even received letters to the brothers and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment those there as well.

⁶ “On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.^{(C) 7} I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’^{(D) 8} I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’^{(E) 9} My companions saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.^{(F) 10} I asked, ‘What shall I do, sir?’ The Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything appointed for you to do.’^{(G) 11} Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light, I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.^(H)

^12 (I)“A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law, and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, ¹³ came to me and stood there and said, ‘Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’ And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him. ¹⁴ Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice; ¹⁵ for you will be his witness^[a] before all to what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.’

⁴ My manner of living from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my people^[a] and in Jerusalem, all [the] Jews know. ^5 (A)They have known about me from the start, if they are willing to testify, that I have lived my life as a Pharisee, the strictest party of our religion. ^6 (B)But now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors. ⁷ Our twelve tribes hope to attain to that promise as they fervently worship God day and night; and on account of this hope I am accused by Jews, O king. ⁸ Why is it thought unbelievable among you that God raises the dead? ^9 (C)I myself once thought that I had to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazorean, ¹⁰ and I did so in Jerusalem. I imprisoned many of the holy ones with the authorization I received from the chief priests, and when they were to be put to death I cast my vote against them.^{(D) 11} Many times, in synagogue after synagogue, I punished them in an attempt to force them to blaspheme; I was so enraged against them that I pursued them even to foreign cities.

¹² “On one such occasion I was traveling to Damascus with the authorization and commission of the chief priests. ^13 (E)At midday, along the way, O king, I saw a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my traveling companions.^{(F) 14} We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?^(G) It is hard for you to kick against the goad.’^{[b] 15} And I said, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.^{(H) 16} Get up now, and stand on your feet.^(I) I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen [of me] and what you will be shown.^{[c] 17} I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you,^{(J) 18} to open their eyes^[d] that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me.’^(K)