13. He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' At that very moment I was able to see him.
14. "Then he said, 'The God of our people has chosen you. He wanted to tell you his plans for you. You have seen the Blameless One. You have heard words from his mouth.
15. Now you will give witness to all people about what you have seen and heard.
16. So what are you waiting for? Get up and call on his name. Be baptized. Have your sins washed away.'
17. "I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple. Then it seemed to me that I was dreaming.
18. I saw the Lord speaking to me. 'Quick!' he said. 'Leave Jerusalem at once. These people will not accept your witness about me.'
19. " 'Lord,' I replied, 'these people know what I used to do. I went from one synagogue to another and put believers in prison. I also beat them.
20. Stephen was a man who gave witness to others about you. I stood there when he was killed. I had agreed that he should die. I even guarded the coats of those who were killing him.'
21. "Then the Lord said to me, 'Go. I will send you far away to people who are not Jews.' "
22. The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they shouted, "Kill him! He isn't fit to live!"
23. They shouted and threw off their coats. They threw dust into the air.
24. So the commanding officer ordered Paul to be taken into the fort. He gave orders for Paul to be whipped and questioned. He wanted to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.
25. A commander was standing there as they stretched Paul out to be whipped. Paul said to him, "Does the law allow you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?"
26. When the commander heard this, he went to the commanding officer and reported it. "What are you going to do?" the commander asked. "This man is a Roman citizen."
27. So the commanding officer went to Paul. "Tell me," he asked. "Are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," Paul answered.