Acts 9:4-5

9:4 He ¹  fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, ²  why are you persecuting me?” ³  9:5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting!

Acts 9:10-11

9:10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The ⁴  Lord ⁵  said to him in a vision, “Ananias,” and he replied, “Here I am, ⁶  Lord.” 9:11 Then the Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’ ⁷  and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying,

Acts 9:15

9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument ⁸  to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. ⁹ 

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¹ tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

² tn The double vocative suggests emotion.

³ sn Persecuting me. To persecute the church is to persecute Jesus.

⁴ tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

⁵ sn The Lord is directing all the events leading to the expansion of the gospel as he works on both sides of the meeting between Paul and Ananias. “The Lord” here refers to Jesus (see v. 17).

⁶ tn Grk “behold, I,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).

⁷ sn The noting of the detail of the locale, ironically called ‘Straight’ Street, shows how directive and specific the Lord was.

⁸ tn Or “tool.”

⁹ tn Grk “the sons of Israel.” In Acts, Paul is a minister to all nations, including Israel (Rom 1:16-17).