3“I am a Jew, as are all of you. I was born in Tarsus city, in Cilicia province, but I grew up here in Jerusalem. When I was young, for many years I studied the laws that Moses gave to our ancestors. I was taught by the famous teacher Gamaliel MTY { The famous teacher Gamaliel taught MTY me}. I have carefully obeyed those laws, because I have wanted to obey God. I am sure that many of you also carefully obey those laws.
4That is why I previously persecuted those who believe the message that people call the Way that Jesus taught. I continually looked for ways to kill them. Whenever I found men or women who believed that message, I commanded that they should be seized and thrown { people to seize them and throw them} into jail.
5The suprrme priest knows this, and so do the other respected men who belong to our Jewish Council. They gave me letters to take to their fellow Jews in Damascus city. By means of those letters, they authorized me to go to there and find people who believed in Jesus. They had written in the letters that I was to bring those people as prisoners to Jerusalem, so that they would be punished here { the leaders here could punish them}. So I went on my way to Damascus.
6About noon, my companions and I were getting near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed all around me.
7The light was so bright that I fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking to me from up in the sky. The one who was speaking to me said, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you (sg) do things to harm me?’
8I answered, ‘Who are you?’ He replied, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth. I am the one whom you (sg) are harming by doing things to harm my followers.’
9The men who were traveling with me saw the very bright light, and they heard a voice, but they did not understand what the voice said to me.
10Then I asked, ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’ The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus! A man there will tell you (sg) all that I have planned for you to do.’
11After that, I could not see, because the very bright light had caused me to become blind. So my companions took me by the hand and led me until we(exc) arrived in Damascus.
12A couple of days later, a man whose name was Ananias came to see me. He was a man who greatly respected God and carefully obeyed our Jewish laws. All the Jews living in Damascus said good things about him.
13He came and stood beside me and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see again!’ Instantly I could see! I saw Ananias standing there beside me.
14Then he said: ‘The God whom we(inc) worship and whom our ancestors worshipped has chosen you and will show you what he wants you to do. He has allowed you to see the righteous one, the Messiah, and you have heard him speaking to you.
Acts 22
Acts 22:3-14