4. “Now all the Jews know my manner of life from my youth, that had taken place from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem,
5. having known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that in accordance with the strictest party of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.
6. And now I stand here on trial on the basis of hope in the promise made by God to our fathers,
7. to which our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve him night and day. Concerning this hope I am being accused by the Jews, O king!
8. Why is it thought incredible by you people that God raises the dead?
9. Indeed, I myself thought it was necessary to do many things opposed to the name of Jesus the Nazarene,
10. which I also did in Jerusalem, and not only did I lock up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being executed, I cast my vote against them.
11. And throughout all the synagogues I punished them often and tried to force them to blaspheme, and because I was enraged at them beyond measure, I was pursuing them even as far as to foreign cities.
12. In this activity I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and full power of the chief priests.
13. In the middle of the day along the road, O king, I saw a light from heaven, more than the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who were traveling with me.
14. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Aramaic language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads!’