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"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city and trained at the feet of Gamli'el in every detail of the Torah of our forefathers. I was a zealot for God, as all of you are today.
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I persecuted to death the followers of this Way, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.
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The cohen hagadol and the whole Sanhedrin can also testify to this. Indeed, after receiving letters from them to their colleagues in Dammesek, I was on my way there in order to arrest the ones in that city too and bring them back to Yerushalayim for punishment.
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"As I was traveling and approaching Dammesek, around noon, suddenly a brilliant light from heaven flashed all around me!
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I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Sha'ul! Sha'ul! Why do you keep persecuting me?'
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I answered, 'Sir, who are you?' 'I am Yeshua from Natzeret,' he said to me, 'and you are persecuting me!'
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Those who were with me did see the light, but they didn't hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.
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I said 'What should I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Get up, and go into Dammesek, and there you will be told about everything that has been laid out for you to do.'
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I had been blinded by the brightness of the light, so my companions led me by the hand into Dammesek.
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"A man named Hananyah, an observant follower of the Torah who was highly regarded by the entire Jewish community there,
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came to me, stood by me and said, 'Brother Sha'ul, see again!' And at that very moment, I recovered my sight and saw him.