1. “My friends and leaders of our nation, listen as I explain what happened!”
2. When the crowd heard Paul speak to them in Aramaic, they became even quieter. Then Paul said:
3. I am a Jew, born and raised in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. I was a student of Gamaliel and was taught to follow every single law of our ancestors. In fact, I was just as eager to obey God as any of you are today.
4. I made trouble for everyone who followed the Lord's Way, and I even had some of them killed. I had others arrested and put in jail. I didn't care if they were men or women.
5. The high priest and all the council members can tell you that this is true. They even gave me letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus, so that I could arrest people there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.
6. One day about midday I was getting close to Damascus, when a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.
7. I fell to the ground and heard a voice asking me, “Saul, Saul, why are you so cruel to me?”
8. “Who are you?” I answered.The Lord replied, “I am Jesus from Nazareth! I am the one you are so cruel to.”
9. The men who were travelling with me saw the light, but did not hear the voice.
10. I asked, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”Then he told me, “Get up and go to Damascus. When you get there, you will be told what to do.”
11. The light had been so bright that I couldn't see. And the other men had to lead me by the hand to Damascus.
12. In that city there was a man named Ananias, who faithfully obeyed the Law of Moses and was well liked by all the Jewish people living there.