Paul Recounts His Conversion^(A)

^12 (B)“While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, ¹³ at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. ¹⁴ And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, ^(C)to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. ¹⁷ I will ^[a]deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, ^(D)to whom I ^[b]now send you, ^18 (E)to open their eyes, in order ^(F)to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, ^(G)that they may receive forgiveness of sins and ^(H)an inheritance among those who are ^(I)sanctified^[c] by faith in Me.’

⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A ^(A)man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go ^(B)to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.