8. I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The voice said, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’
9. Those who were with me did not understand the voice, but they saw the light.
10. I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord answered, ‘Get up and go to Damascus. There you will be told about all the things I have planned for you to do.’
11. I could not see, because the bright light had made me blind. So my companions led me into Damascus.
12. “There a man named Ananias came to me. He was a religious man; he obeyed the law of Moses, and all the Jews who lived there respected him.
13. He stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, see again!’ Immediately I was able to see him.
14. He said, ‘The God of our ancestors chose you long ago to know his plan, to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from him.
15. You will be his witness to all people, telling them about what you have seen and heard.
16. Now, why wait any longer? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, trusting in him to save you.’
17. “Later, when I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple, and I saw a vision.
18. I saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem now! The people here will not accept the truth about me.’
19. But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I put the believers in jail and beat them.
20. They also know I was there when Stephen, your witness, was killed. I stood there agreeing and holding the coats of those who were killing him!’
21. But the Lord said to me, ‘Leave now. I will send you far away to the other nations.’ ”
22. The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they began shouting, “Get rid of him! He doesn’t deserve to live!”