and askedfor lettersfrom him to the synagoguesat Damascus,sothat ifhe foundanybelongingto the Way,bothmenand women,he might bringthem boundto Jerusalem.
He dividedhis forces againstthem by night,he and his servants,and defeatedthem, and pursuedthem as faras Hobah,whichis northof Damascus.
The oracleconcerning Damascus."Behold,Damascusis about to be removedfrom being a cityAnd will becomea fallenruin.
Concerning Damascus."Hamathand Arpadare putto shame,For they have heardbadnews;They are disheartened.There is anxietyby the sea,It cannotbe calmed.
"But bewareof men,for they will handyou over to [the] courtsand scourgeyou in their synagogues;
Jesussaidto him, "I amthe way,and the truth,and the life;no onecomesto the Fatherbut throughMe.
This manhad beeninstructedin the wayof the Lord;and being ferventin spirit,he was speakingand teachingaccuratelythe things concerningJesus,being acquaintedonlywith the baptismof John;
Aboutthat timethere occurrednosmalldisturbanceconcerningthe Way.
But whensomewere becoming hardenedand disobedient,speaking evilof the Waybeforethe people,he withdrewfrom them and took awaythe disciples,reasoningdailyin the schoolof Tyrannus.
"But thisI admitto you, that accordingto the Waywhichthey calla sectI do servethe Godof our fathers,believingeverythingthat is in accordancewith the Lawand that is writtenin the Prophets;
But Felix,havinga more exactknowledgeaboutthe Way,put them off,saying,"WhenLysiasthe commandercomes down,I will decideyour case."
"And thisis justwhatI didin Jerusalem;not onlydid I lockup manyof the saintsin prisons,having receivedauthorityfrom the chief priests,but alsowhen they were being put to deathI castmy voteagainstthem.
"Whilesoengaged as I was journeyingto Damascuswith the authorityand commissionof the chief priests,
But some menfrom what was calledthe Synagogueof the Freedmen,[including] bothCyreniansand Alexandrians,and somefrom Ciliciaand Asia,roseup and arguedwith Stephen.
"It was he who took shrewd advantageof our raceand mistreatedour fathersso that they would exposetheir infantsand they would not survive.
and herehe hasauthorityfrom the chief prieststo bindallwho callon Your name."
Allthosehearinghim continued to be amazed,and were saying,"Is thisnot he who in Jerusalemdestroyedthosewho calledon thisname,and [who] had comeherefor the purpose of bringingthem boundbeforethe chief priests?"
In Damascusthe ethnarchunder Aretasthe kingwas guardingthe cityof the Damascenesin order to seizeme,
nordid I goup to Jerusalemto thosewho were apostlesbeforeme; but I went awayto Arabia,and returnedonce moreto Damascus.
