^3 (A)Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. ⁴ And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ^(B)me?” ⁵ And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, ^(C)whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But ^(D)rise and enter the city, and you will be told ^(E)what you are to do.” ^7 (F)The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, ^(G)hearing the voice but seeing no one. ⁸ Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, ^(H)he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

¹² “In this connection ^(A)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 ^(B)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 ^(C)stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, ^(D)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, ^17 (E)delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—^(F)to whom I ^(G)am sending you ^18 (H)to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from ^(I)the power of Satan to God, that they may receive ^(J)forgiveness of sins and ^(K)a place among those who are sanctified ^(L)by faith in me.’