Acts 9
1 But meanwhile Saul was making violent threats against the disciples of the Lord, wanting to kill them. He went to the high priest
Meanwhile, Saul angrily continued to say, “I will kill those who believe that [Jesus is] the Lord!” He went to the supreme priest [in Jerusalem]
2 and asked for letters of authorization to take with him to the synagogues in Damascus, giving him permission to arrest any believers in the Way that he found, men or women, and bring them back to Jerusalem as prisoners.
and requested him [to write] letters [introducing him] to [the leaders of] [MTY] the Jewish meeting places in Damascus [city. The letters asked them to authorize Saul] to seize any men or women who followed the way [that Jesus had taught], and to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem [so that the Jewish leaders could judge and punish them].
3 As Saul approached Damascus, suddenly he was surrounded by a light that blazed down from heaven.
Saul took those letters, and while he [and those with him] traveled toward Damascus, as they were approaching the city, suddenly a [brilliant] light from heaven shone around Saul.
4 He fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
[Immediately] he fell down to the ground. Then he heard the voice [of the Lord] say to him, “Saul, Saul, (stop causing me to suffer!/why are you causing me to suffer?) [RHQ]”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, the one you're persecuting,” he replied.
Saul asked him, “Lord, who are you?” He replied, “I am Jesus, [and] you [(sg)] are causing me to suffer [by hurting my followers]!
6 “Get up, go on into the city, and you'll be told what to do.”
Now instead [of continuing to do that], stand up and go into the city! [Someone there] will tell you [(sg)] what I [want] you to do.”
7 The men who were traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice speaking, but they didn't see anyone.
The men who were traveling with Saul [became so frightened that they] could not say anything. [They just] stood there. They only heard the sound [when the Lord spoke], but they did not see anyone.
8 Saul got to his feet, and when he opened his eyes, he couldn't see anything. His companions took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.
Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see anything. So the men [with him] took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.
9 For three days he couldn't see, and he didn't eat or drink anything.
For the next three days Saul could not see [anything], and he did not eat or drink anything.
10 A follower of Jesus called Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. “Ananias!” he called. “I'm here, Lord,” Ananias responded.
In Damascus there was [a Jew] named Ananias who believed in Jesus. While [Ananias was seeing] a vision, the Lord [Jesus] said to him, “Ananias!” He replied, “Lord, I [am listening].”
11 “Get up, and go to Straight Street,” the Lord told him. “Ask at Judas' house for someone called Saul, from Tarsus. He's praying.
The Lord Jesus told him, “Go to Straight Street to the house that belongs to Judas. Ask [someone there if you(sg) can talk to] a man named Saul from Tarsus [city], because, surprisingly, at this moment he is praying [to me].
12 He's seen in vision a man called Ananias come and place his hands on him so he can regain his sight.”
[Saul has seen] a vision in which a man named Ananias entered [the house where he was staying] and put his hands on him in order that he might see again.”
13 “But Lord,” Ananias replied, “I've heard a lot about this man—about all the evil things he did to the believers in Jerusalem.
But Ananias [protested], saying, “But Lord, many people have told me about this man! He has done many evil things to the people in Jerusalem who [believe in] you!
14 The chief priests have given him the power to arrest everyone here that worships and follows you.”
And the chief priests have authorized him to come here [to Damascus] in order to seize all of us who believe in you [(sg)] [MTY] [and take us to Jerusalem]!”
15 But the Lord told him, “Get on your way, because he is the person I have chosen to take my name to foreigners and kings, as well as to Israel.
But the Lord [Jesus] told Ananias, “Go to [Saul! Do what I say], because I have chosen him to serve me in order that he might speak about me [MTY] both to non-Jewish people and [their] kings and to the Israeli people.
16 I will show him what he'll have to suffer for my name's sake.”
I myself will tell him that he must often suffer greatly because of [telling people about] me [MTY].”
17 So Ananias left and went to the house. He placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “The Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were traveling here, has sent me so you can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
So Ananias went, and [after he found] the house [where Saul was], he entered it. Then, [as soon as he met Saul], he put his hands on him, and he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus [himself] commanded me to come [to you]. He is the [same] one who appeared to you [(sg)] while you were traveling along the road. [He sent me to you] in order that you might see again and that you might be completely controlled by the Holy Spirit {that the Holy Spirit might completely control you}.”
18 Immediately, something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized.
Instantly, things like [fish] scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he was able to see again. Then he stood up and was baptized {[Ananias] baptized him} [immediately].
19 He also had something to eat and felt stronger. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
After Saul ate some food, he felt strong again. Saul stayed with the [other] believers in Damascus for several days.
20 He immediately started speaking in the synagogues, saying, “Jesus is the Son of God.”
Right away Saul began to preach [to people about Jesus] in the Jewish meeting places [in Damascus. He told them] that Jesus is (the Son of/the man who is also) God.
21 All who heard him were amazed, and asked, “Isn't this the man who caused so much trouble in Jerusalem for those who believed in Jesus? Wasn't he coming here to have the believers arrested and taken in chains to the chief priests?”
And all the people who heard him [preach] were amazed. [Various ones of] them were saying, “([We(inc) can hardly believe that] this is the [same man] who persecuted the believers in Jerusalem!/Is this really the [same man] who persecuted the believers in Jerusalem?) [RHQ, MTY] And we [(inc)] know that he has [RHQ] come here to seize us and take us to the chief priests [in Jerusalem]!”
22 Saul grew more and more confident, proving Jesus was the Messiah so convincingly that the Jews who lived in Damascus could not refute him.
But [God] enabled Saul [to preach to many people even] more convincingly. He was proving [from the Scriptures] that Jesus is the Messiah. So the Jewish leaders in Damascus could not think of anything (to refute [what he said/to prove that what he said was not true]).
23 Some time later the Jews plotted together to kill him,
Some time later, [after Saul had left Damascus and then returned], the Jewish [leaders] [SYN] [there] plotted to kill him.
24 but Saul learned of their intentions. Day and night they waited by the city gates looking for the chance to murder him.
[During each] day and night those Jews were continually watching [the people passing through] the city gates, in order that [when they saw Saul] they might kill him. However, someone told Saul what they planned to do.
25 So during the night his followers took him and lowered him down in a basket from an opening in the city wall.
So some of those whom he had helped [to believe in Jesus] took him [one] night [to the high stone wall that surrounded the city]. They [used ropes to] lower him in a [large] basket through an opening in the wall. [So he escaped from Damascus].
26 When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him because they were not convinced he was really a disciple.
When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he began trying to associate with other believers. However, [almost] all of them continued to be afraid of him, because they did not believe that he had become a believer.
27 However, Barnabas took him to meet the apostles, and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. Barnabas also explained how in Damascus Saul had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.
But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He explained to the apostles how, [while Saul was traveling] along the road [to Damascus], he had seen the Lord [Jesus] and how the Lord had spoken to him [there. He] also told them how Saul had preached boldly about Jesus [MTY] [to people] in Damascus. [The apostles believed Barnabas and told the other believers about that].
28 Saul stayed with the apostles and accompanied them all over Jerusalem,
So Saul began to associate with the apostles [and other believers] throughout Jerusalem, and he spoke boldly [to people] about [MTY] the Lord [Jesus].
29 speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to kill him.
Saul was [also] speaking [about Jesus] with Jews who spoke Greek, and he was debating with them. But they were continually trying [to think] ([of a way] to kill him/of [how they could] kill him).
30 When the brothers learned of this they took him to Caesarea, and sent him to Tarsus.
When the [other] believers heard that [those Jews were planning to kill him, some of] the believers took Saul down to Caesarea [city. There] they arranged for him to go [by ship] to Tarsus, [his hometown].
31 During this time the whole church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was left in peace. The church grew strong and increased rapidly in numbers as the believers lived reverently for the Lord, encouraged by the Holy Spirit.
So the groups of believers throughout [the entire regions of] Judea, Galilee, and Samaria lived peacefully [because no one was persecuting them any more]. The Holy Spirit was strengthening them [spiritually] and encouraging them. They were continuing to revere/honor the Lord [Jesus, and the Holy Spirit] was enabling many other people [to become believers].
32 Peter was traveling around and went to visit the believers who lived in Lydda.
While Peter was traveling throughout those [regions, once] he went to [the coastal plain to visit] the believers [who lived] in Lydda [town].
33 There he met a man called Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been confined to his bed for eight years.
There he met a man whose name was Aeneas. Aeneas had not been able to get up from [his] bed for eight years, because he was paralyzed.
34 Peter told him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and pick up your mat!” Immediately Aeneas got up.
Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you [(sg) right now]! Get up and roll up your mat!” Right away Aeneas stood up.
35 Everyone living in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and became believers in the Lord.
Most of the people who lived in Lydda and on Sharon [Plain] saw Aeneas [after the Lord had healed him], so they believed in the Lord [Jesus].
36 In Joppa lived a follower called Tabitha, (Dorcas in Greek). She was always doing good and helping the poor.
In Joppa [town] there was a believer whose name was Tabitha. [Her name] in the [Greek] language was Dorcas. [Both of these names mean gazelle/deer/antelope]. That woman was continually doing good deeds [for others. Specifically], she was helping poor people [by giving them things that they needed].
37 However, about this time she became sick, and died. After washing her body, they laid her out in an upstairs room.
During the time [that Peter was in Lydda], she became sick and died. [Some women there] washed her body [according to the Jewish custom so that the people could bury it]. Then they [covered her body with cloth and] placed it in an upstairs room [in her house].
38 Lydda was near Joppa, so the disciples in Joppa, hearing that Peter was in Lydda, sent two men to him with the message, “Please come to us right away.”
Lydda was near Joppa, so when the believers heard that Peter was [still] in Lydda, they sent two men to [go] to Peter. [When they arrived where Peter was], they repeatedly urged/begged him, “Please come immediately with us [to Joppa]!”
39 So Peter got ready and left with them. When he arrived they took him upstairs. All the widows were there crying, and they showed him the coats and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
So [right away] Peter got ready and went with them. When they arrived [at the house in Joppa], the two men took Peter to the upstairs room [where Dorcas’ body was lying]. All the widows [there] around Peter. They were crying and showing him the cloaks and [other] garments that Dorcas had made for people while she was still alive.
40 Peter told them all to leave, kneeled down, and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.
But Peter sent them all out of the room. Then he got down on his knees and prayed. Then, turning toward Tabitha’s body, he said, “Tabitha, stand up!” [Immediately] she opened her eyes and, when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41 He took her by the hand and lifted her up. He called in the believers and the widows, and presented her to them alive.
He grasped one of her hands and helped her to stand up. After he had summoned the believers and [especially] the widows [among them to come back in], he showed them that Tabitha was alive [again].
42 The news spread through the whole of Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
[Soon] people everywhere in Joppa knew about that miracle, and as a result many people believed in the Lord [Jesus].
43 Peter spent a long time in Joppa, staying at the house of Simon the tanner.
Peter stayed in Joppa many days with a man named Simon who made leather [from animal skins].
