¹³ For news has come to you of my way of life in the past in the Jews' religion, how I was cruel without measure to the church of God, and did great damage to it:

³ But Saul was burning with hate against the church, going into every house and taking men and women and putting them in prison.

⁴ All the Jews have knowledge of my way of life from my early years, as it was from the start among my nation, and at Jerusalem;

⁵ And they are able to say, if they would give witness, that I was living as a Pharisee, in that division of our religion which is most regular in the keeping of the law.

²¹ And all those hearing him were full of wonder and said, Is not this the man who in Jerusalem was attacking all the worshippers of this name? and he had come here so that he might take them as prisoners before the chief priests.

¹³ Though I had said violent words against God, and done cruel acts, causing great trouble: but I was given mercy, because I did it without knowledge, not having faith;

⁶ In bitter hate I was cruel to the church; I kept all the righteousness of the law to the last detail.

⁹ For I am the least of the Apostles, having no right to be named an Apostle, because of my cruel attacks on the church of God.

⁹ For I, truly, was of the opinion that it was right for me to do a number of things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

¹⁰ And this I did in Jerusalem: and numbers of the saints I put in prison, having had authority given to me from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my decision against them.

¹¹ And I gave them punishment frequently, in all the Synagogues, forcing them to say things against God; and burning with passion against them, I went after them even into far-away towns.

³ I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia by birth, but I had my education in this town at the feet of Gamaliel, being trained in the keeping of every detail of the law of our fathers; given up to the cause of God with all my heart, as you are today.

⁴ And I made attacks on this Way, even to death, taking men and women and putting them in prison.

⁵ Of which the high priest will be a witness, and all the rulers, from whom I had letters to the brothers; and I went into Damascus, to take those who were there as prisoners to Jerusalem for punishment.

²⁶ And when he came to Jerusalem, he made an attempt to be joined to the disciples, but they were all in fear of him, not taking him for a disciple.

¹³ But Ananias said, Lord, I have had accounts of this man from a number of people, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem:

¹⁴ And here he has authority from the chief priests to make prisoners all who give worship to your name.

¹ But Saul, still burning with desire to put to death the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

² And made a request for letters from him to the Synagogues of Damascus, so that if there were any of the Way there, men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

¹ And Saul gave approval to his death. Now at that time a violent attack was started against the church in Jerusalem; and all but the Apostles went away into all parts of Judaea and Samaria.