I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’
“Therefore I bring charges against you again,” declares the Lord. “And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
This is what the Lord says: “What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”
But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
“ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.