about noon
When asking and receiving permission to speak unto the people , I did so in the Hebrew tongue saying : '' ` Men , brethren and fathers , hear ye my defense , now made unto you , I am verily a man , a Jew born in Tarsus , in Cilicia , yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel , taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers and was zealous towards God , as ye all are this day . '' ` And I persecuted this way unto the death , binding and delivering into prison both men and women . As also the high priest doth bear me witness , and all the estate of the elders ; from whom also I received letters unto the brethren and went to Damascus , to bring them which were bound unto Jerusalem for to be punished . '' ` And it came to pass that as I made my journey and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon , suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me . And I fell unto the ground , and hearing a voice saying unto me , `` Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me ? '' '' ` And I answered , `` Who art thou Lord ? '' And he said unto me , `` I am Jesus of Nazareth , whom thou persecuteth . '' ''