Acts 9:3-19

³While on his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, suddenly a light from the heavens flashed around him.

⁴He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him — “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

⁵“Who are you, Lord?” he asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the voice answered;

⁶“Yet stand up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

⁷The men travelling with Saul were meanwhile standing speechless; they heard the sound of the voice, but saw no one.

⁸When Saul got up from the ground, though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So his men led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus;

⁹and for three days he was unable to see, and took nothing either to eat or to drink.

¹⁰Now there was at Damascus a disciple named Ananias, to whom, in a vision, the Lord said, “Ananias.” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.

¹¹“Go at once,” said the Lord, “to the Straight Street, and ask at Judas's house for a man named Saul, from Tarsus. He is at this moment praying,

¹²and he has seen, in a vision, a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him, so that he may recover his sight.”

¹³“Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I have heard from many people about this man — how much harm he has done at Jerusalem to your people there.

¹⁴And, here, too, he holds authority from the chief priests to put in chains all those who invoke your name.”

¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to uphold my name before the Gentiles and their kings, and the people of Israel.

¹⁶I will myself show him all that he has to suffer for my name.”

¹⁷So Ananias went, entered the house, and, placing his hands on Saul, said, “Saul, my brother, I have been sent by the Lord — by Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here — so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

¹⁸Instantly it seemed as if a film fell from Saul's eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptised,

¹⁹and, after he had taken food, he felt his strength return. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples who were at Damascus,