5. as the kohen gadol and all the council of elders can testify about me. I also received letters from them to the brothers, and I went to Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem even those who were there in chains—to be punished.
6. “But it happened that as I was traveling and drawing near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly flashed all around me.
7. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
8. “I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said to me, ‘I am Yeshua ha-Natzrati, whom you are persecuting.’
9. “Now those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.
10. So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ “And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up, and go to Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’
11. “But since I could not see because of the brilliance of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.
12. Then a certain Ananias—a devout man according to the Torah, well spoken of by all the Jewish people living there—
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!”