Acts 26:11-19 "Then, while continuing in punishing them in vengeance – down through the various synagogues – I kept on trying to force (or: compel) them to blaspheme (speak abusively about God), besides keeping them in the midst of insane rage which completely surrounded them, and continued pressing forward to persecute them even into the cities outside Palestine.

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹¹ "Then, while continuing in punishing them in vengeance – down through the [various] synagogues – I kept on trying to force (or: compel) [them] to blaspheme (speak abusively about [God]), besides keeping them in the midst of insane rage which completely surrounded them, and continued pressing forward to persecute [them] even into the cities outside [Palestine]. ¹² "Within the midst of which [activities], while traveling on my journey unto Damascus with [the] authority, as well as a commission which gave permission, from the chief (or: ranking) priests, ¹³ " [being] down on the road at midday, I saw, O king, a light from [the] sky (or: from heaven) – more intense than (or: above) the brightness and brilliance of the sun – shining and flashing around me and the folks then traveling with me. ¹⁴ "Next, at all of us falling down to the ground, I heard a Voice proceeding in saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, O Saul! Why do you continue pressing forward to persecute Me? To keep on kicking [your heel] toward [the] goads (sharp points; e.g., as with an ox-goad; = futilely resisting or 'flogging a dead horse') [makes it] hard for you (or: = can hurt you)!' ¹⁵ "So I myself said, 'Who are you, Sir (or: Master; Lord)?' But the Lord (or: The Owner; [= Christ]) said, 'I Myself am Jesus (or: I exist in Myself being Jesus) – Whom you continue pressing forward to persecute! ¹⁶ "'But now, get up and stand upon your feet! You see, into this [situation; commission] and unto this [purpose] I became seen by you (or: was made to appear to you): to take you in hand beforehand (or: to handle you in advance; or: to hand-pick you ahead of time) [to be] a subordinate (one who is a rower of a ship's crew) and a witness (one who testifies and gives evidence) – both of things in which you saw Me, and of things in which I will continue being seen by (or: in; with) you – ¹⁷ "'now Myself choosing you from out of the midst of the People (or: repeatedly taking you from out of the midst of, i.e., rescuing you from, the People), as well as from out of the midst of the ethnic multitudes (or: nations; non-Jews) unto whom I Myself am progressively sending you off with a mission: ¹⁸ "'to open back up their eyes again; to turn [their eyes; or: them] back: away from darkness (a realm of the shadow; dimness and obscurity) into Light, even from the authority and privilege of the adversary (or: that is, from the right which comes from out being the opponent), and upon God; to receive a flowing away of deviations and a release from failures, mistakes and occasions of missing the goal (or: a forgiveness of sins) and an allotted inheritance among and in union with the folks having been – and now remaining – set apart in, with and for faith which [leads] into Me (or: centered within the people now made holy by trust [which is] by the One [having come] into the midst of Me; or: within those having been consecrated for loyalty, sanctified with faith and now set apart to trusting conviction [that has brought them] unto Me).' ¹⁹ "Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I did not come to be unpersuaded in (or: become disobedient to) the heavenly sight (or: the vision from the atmosphere,) which was seen,