Kepha uSawulu esafutha ngokusongela nokubulala abafundi beNkosi, waya kumpristi omkhulu, wacela kuye izincwadi zokuya eDamaseku emasinagogeni,* kuze kuthi uma efumana abantu baleyo Ndlela, abesilisa nabesifazane, abayise eJerusalema beboshiwe. Kepha ekuhambeni kwakhe, esesondela eDamaseku, kwambaneka masinyane nxazonke ukukhanya okuvela ezulwini. Wawa phansi emhlabathini, wezwa izwi lithi kuye: “Sawulu, Sawulu, ungizingelelani na? Kulukhuni kuwe ukukhahlela ezinkandini.”
Wayesethi: “Ungubani, Nkosi?”
Yathi: “Mina nginguJesu omzingelayo wena; kodwa vuka ungene emzini, uzakutshelwa lokhu omelwe ukukwenza.”
Kepha amadoda ayehamba naye ayemi engenakukhuluma, ngokuba ezwa izwi kodwa ayengaboni muntu. USawulu wayesevuka phansi; kepha esevulile amehlo akhe, kabonanga lutho. Base bembamba ngesandla, bamyisa eDamaseku. Izinsuku zaba ntathu engaboni, engadli, engaphuzi.
Kwakukhona eDamaseku umfundi othile, igama lakhe lingu-Ananiya; iNkosi yathi kuye ngombono: “Ananiya!”
Yena wathi: “Ngikhona, Nkosi.”
INkosi yayisithi kuye: “Suka uye esitaladini esithiwa Siqondile, ufune endlini kaJuda umuntu ogama lakhe linguSawulu waseTarsu; ngokuba bheka, uyakhuleka; ubonile indoda, igama layo lingu-Ananiya, ingena, ibeka izandla phezu kwakhe ukuba abone.”
Kepha u-Ananiya waphendula wathi: “Nkosi, ngizwile ngabaningi ngaleyo ndoda konke okubi ekwenzile kwabangcwele bakho eJerusalema; nalapha unamandla avela kubapristi abakhulu okubopha bonke abakhuleka egameni lakho.”
INkosi yayisithi kuye: “Hamba, ngokuba lo uyisitsha sami esikhethiweyo sokuphatha igama lami phambi kwabezizwe, namakhosi, nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba mina ngizakumbonisa konke amelwe ukuhlushwa ngakho ngenxa yegama lami.”
Khona wahamba u-Ananiya, wangena endlini, wabeka izandla phezu kwakhe, wathi: “Sawulu umzalwane, iNkosi uJesu eyabonakala kuwe endleleni oze ngayo, ingithumile ukuba ubuye ubone, ugcwaliswe ngoMoya oNgcwele.” Kwawa masinyane emehlweni akhe kwangathi inkwethu, wabona, wasukuma, wabhapathizwa; esedlile wathola amandla.
Wahlala nabafundi baseDamaseku izinsuku ezithile. Masinyane washumayela emasinagogeni* ngoJesu ukuthi yena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu. Kepha bamangala bonke abezwayo, bathi: “Lo asiye yini owachitha eJerusalema abakhuleka kulelo gama, nalapha uze ngalokhu ukuba abaqhube beboshiwe kubapristi abakhulu na?” Kodwa uSawulu wakhula kakhulu emandleni, wahlula abaJuda abakhileyo eDamaseku eqinisa ukuthi lowo unguKristu.
Sekudlule izinsuku eziningi, abaJuda benza icebo lokuba bambulale. Kepha icebo labo laziwa nguSawulu. Babemhlalela nasemasangweni imini nobusuku ukuba bambulale. Abafundi base bemthatha ebusuku, bamehlisa ogangeni, bemewula ngeqoma.