6
I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you'll be told what to do next."
7
His companions stood there dumbstruck - they could hear the sound, but couldn't see anyone -
8
while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus.
9
He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.
10
There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: "Ananias." "Yes, Master?" he answered.
11
"Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He's there praying.
12
He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again."
13
Ananias protested, "Master, you can't be serious. Everybody's talking about this man and the terrible things he's been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem!
14
And now he's shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us."
15
But the Master said, "Don't argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to Gentiles and kings and Jews.
16
And now I'm about to show him what he's in for - the hard suffering that goes with this job."