^3 (A)As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴ Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, ^(B)why are you persecuting Me?”

⁵ And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ^[a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

⁶ So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Tongues Must Be Interpreted

⁶ But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by ^(A)revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?

The Thorn in the Flesh

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a ^(A)thorn in the flesh was given to me, ^(B)a messenger of Satan to ^[a]buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

¹² For ^(A)I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came ^(B)through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

² And I went up ^[a]by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but ^(A)privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means ^(B)I might run, or had run, in vain.