12 [a]While so engaged, (A)as I was journeying 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, [b]brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 And when we had (B)all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the [c](C)Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? [d]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 get up and (D)stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to (E)appoint you as a (F)servant and (G)a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, 17 (H)rescuing you (I)from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to (J)open their eyes so that they may turn from (K)darkness to light, and from the [e]power of (L)Satan to God, that they may receive (M)forgiveness of sins and an (N)inheritance among those who have been sanctified by (O)faith in Me.’

19 “For that reason, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but continually proclaimed (P)to those in Damascus first, and (Q)in Jerusalem, and then all the region of Judea, and even (R)to the Gentiles, that they are to (S)repent and turn to God, performing deeds (T)consistent with repentance. 21 For these reasons some Jews (U)seized me in the temple and tried (V)to murder me. 22 So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day (W)testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what (X)the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place, 23 as to (Y)whether the [f]Christ was [g]to suffer, and whether, as (Z)first from the resurrection of the dead, He would proclaim (AA)light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 26:12 Lit In which things
  2. Acts 26:13 Lit above the brightness of
  3. Acts 26:14 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
  4. Acts 26:14 An idiom referring to an animal’s futile resistance to being prodded with a spiked stick
  5. Acts 26:18 Or dominion
  6. Acts 26:23 I.e., Messiah
  7. Acts 26:23 Lit subject to suffering

12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice(A) saying to me in Aramaic,[a](B) ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.(C) I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.(D) 17 I will rescue you(E) from your own people and from the Gentiles.(F) I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes(G) and turn them from darkness to light,(H) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins(I) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’(J)

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient(K) to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus,(L) then to those in Jerusalem(M) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,(N) I preached that they should repent(O) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.(P) 21 That is why some Jews seized me(Q) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.(R) 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen(S) 23 that the Messiah would suffer(T) and, as the first to rise from the dead,(U) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”(V)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 26:14 Or Hebrew