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"And 1as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being 2furiouslyenraged at them, I kept pursuing them 3even to foreigncities.
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"Whileso engaged 4as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chiefpriests,
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at midday*, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighterthan the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.
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"And when we had 5allfallen to the ground, I heard a voicesaying to me in the 6Hebrewdialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kickagainst the goads.'
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"And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lordsaid, 'I amJesuswhom you are persecuting.
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'But get up and 7stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to 8appoint you a 9minister and 10a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;
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11rescuing you 12from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
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to 13open their eyes so that they may turn from 14darkness to light and from the dominion of 15Satan to God, that they may receive16forgiveness of sins and an 17inheritanceamongthose who have been sanctified by 18faith in Me.'
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"So, KingAgrippa, I did not provedisobedient to the heavenlyvision,
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but kept declaringboth19to those of Damascusfirst, and also 20at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even 21to the Gentiles, that they should 22repent and turn to God, performingdeeds23appropriate to repentance.
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"For thisreason some Jews24seized me in the temple and tried25to put me to death.