13. came to me. Standing before me, he said to me, ‘Brother Saul, look up!’ In that very moment, I looked and saw him!
14. “And he said, ‘The God of our fathers handpicked you to know His will—to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth.
15. For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard.
16. Now why are you waiting? Get up and be immersed, and wash away your sins, calling on His Name.’
17. “It happened that when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance;
18. and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Hurry! Get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your witness about Me.’
19. “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another, I was imprisoning and beating those trusting in You.
20. Even when the blood of Your witness Stephen was spilled, I too was standing by and approving, and guarding the clothing of those who were killing him.’
21. “And he said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22. Up to this statement they listened to him. Then they raised their voices, saying, “Away from the earth with this fellow! For he’s not fit to live!”
23. As they were crying out and flinging off their cloaks and throwing dust into the air,