Acts 26:4-18

⁴My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among my own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews,

⁵Who knew me from the beginning, (if they would testify) that after the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.

⁶And now I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers:

⁷To which promise our twelve tribes, assiduously serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

⁸Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

⁹I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

¹⁰Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them .

¹¹And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

¹²Upon which as I went to Damascus, with authority and commission from the chief priests,

¹³At mid-day, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, surpassing the brightness of the sun, shining around me, and them who journeyed with me.

¹⁴And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.

¹⁵And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

¹⁶But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared to thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of the things which thou hast seen, and of the things in which I will appear to thee;

¹⁷Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom now I send thee,

¹⁸To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith that is in me.