Acts 9
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto 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 desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
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 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light 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 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou 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 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
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 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord [said] unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must 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 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
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 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought [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 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
For the next three days Saul could not see [anything], and he did not eat or drink anything.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I [am here], Lord.
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 And the Lord [said] unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for [one] called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
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 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting [his] hand on him, that he might receive 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 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at 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 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
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 said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of 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 For I will shew him how great things he must 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 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
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 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, 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 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
After Saul ate some food, he felt strong again. Saul stayed with the [other] believers in Damascus for several days.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he 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 But all that heard [him] were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto 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 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
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 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel 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 their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill 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 Then the disciples took him by night, and let [him] down by the wall in a basket.
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 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was 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 But Barnabas took him, and brought [him] to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus 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 And he was with them coming in and going out at 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 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay 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 [Which] when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Cæsarea, and sent him forth 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 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judæa and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
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 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all [quarters], he came down also to the saints which dwelt at 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 And there he found a certain man named Æneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
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 And Peter said unto him, Æneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
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 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to 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 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
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 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid [ her] in an upper chamber.
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 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring [him] that he would not delay to come to them.
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 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas 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 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning [him] to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And 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 And he gave her [his] hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her 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 And it was known throughout all 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 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.
Peter stayed in Joppa many days with a man named Simon who made leather [from animal skins].
