Acts 26:9-18

9“So 1I thought to myself that I had to act in strong opposition to 2the name of Jesus 3of Nazareth. 10And this is 4just what I 5did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the 6saints in prisons, after 7receiving authority from the chief priests, but I also 8cast my vote against them when they were being put to death. 11And 9as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was 10extremely enraged at them, I kept pursuing them 11even to 12foreign cities.

12“13While so engaged, 14as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, 15brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying with me. 14And when we had 16all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the 1718Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? 19It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16But get up and 20stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to 21appoint you as a 22servant and 23a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, 1724rescuing you 25from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18to 26open their eyes so that they may turn from 27darkness to light, and from the 28power of 29Satan to God, that they may receive 30forgiveness of sins and an 31inheritance among those who have been sanctified by 32faith in Me.’