Acts 22:1-11 ▼

1 BRETHREN and fathers, hear my defense which I now make to you.

2 And when they heard him speak to them in the Hebrew tongue (Aramaic), they were the more quiet: And he said,

3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Ci-li’cia, yet I was brought up in this city under the care and guidance of Ga-ma’li-el, and trained perfectly according to the law of our fathers, and was zealous toward God, just as you are also.

4 And I persecuted this religion to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 The high priest and all the elders can so testify about me, for it was from them that I received letters to go to the brethren at Damascus, to bring those who were there bound to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 And it came to pass as I drew near to Damascus, at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone round about me.

7 And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?

8 And I answered and said, Who are you, my LORD? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Naz’a-reth, whom you persecute.

9 And the men who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice that spoke to me.

10 And I said, What shall I do, my LORD? And our LORD said to me, Arise, and go into Da-mas’cus; and there it shall be told to you all things which are appointed for you to do.

11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Da-mas’cus.