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knowing me before from the first, (if they may be willing to testify,) that after the most exact sect of our worship, I lived a Pharisee;
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and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,
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to which our twelve tribes, intently night and day serving, do hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, king Agrippa, by the Jews;
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why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?
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`I, indeed, therefore, thought with myself, that against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved [me] many things to do,
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which also I did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I in prison did shut up, from the chief priests having received the authority; they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them,
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and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining [them] to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting [them] even unto strange cities.
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`In which things, also, going on to Damascus -- with authority and commission from the chief priests --
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at mid-day, I saw in the way, O king, out of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me a light -- and those going on with me;
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and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? hard for thee against pricks to kick!
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`And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute;