12. “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.
13. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14. “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.
15. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.
16. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’
17. “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18. and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’
19. “ ‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you.
20. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
21. “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
22. The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”
23. As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,
24. the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.