Acts 9
1 And Saul, yet breathing of threatening and slaughter to the disciples of the LORD, having gone to the chief priest,
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
2 asked from him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he may find any being of The Way, both men and women, he may bring them bound to Jerusalem.
and asked him to give him letters to the Jewish congregations at Damascus, authorizing him, if he found there any supporters of the Way, whether men or women, to have them put in chains and brought to Jerusalem.
3 And in the going, he came near to Damascus, and suddenly there shone around him a light from Heaven,
While on his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, suddenly a light from the heavens flashed around him.
4 and having fallen on the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him – “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And the LORD said, “I am Jesus whom you persecute; [[hard for you to kick at the goads”;
“Who are you, Lord?” he asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the voice answered;
6 trembling also, and astonished, he said, “Lord, what do You wish me to do?” And the LORD [said] to him, ]] “Arise, and enter into the city, and it will be told [to] you what you must do.”
“Yet stand up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who are journeying with him stood speechless, indeed hearing the voice but seeing no one,
The men traveling with Saul were meanwhile standing speechless; they heard the sound of the voice, but saw no one.
8 and Saul arose from the earth, and his eyes having been opened, he beheld no one, and leading him by the hand they brought him to Damascus,
When Saul got up from the ground, though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So his men led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus;
9 and he was three days without seeing, and he neither ate nor drank.
and for three days he was unable to see, and took nothing either to eat or to drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple in Damascus, by name Ananias, and the LORD said to him in a vision, “Ananias”; and he said, “Behold me, Lord”;
Now there was at Damascus a disciple named Ananias, to whom, in a vision, the Lord said, “Ananias.” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 and the LORD [says] to him, “Having risen, go on to the street that is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas, [one] by name Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he prays,
“Go at once,” said the Lord, “to the Straight Street, and ask at Judas’s house for a man named Saul, from Tarsus. He is at this moment praying,
12 and he saw in a vision a man, by name Ananias, coming in, and putting a hand on him, that he may see again.”
and he has seen, in a vision, a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him, so that he may recover his sight.”
13 And Ananias answered, “LORD, I have heard from many about this man, how many evils he did to Your holy ones in Jerusalem,
“Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I have heard from many people about this man – how much harm he has done at Jerusalem to your people there.
14 and here he has authority from the chief priests, to bind all those calling on Your Name.”
And, here, too, he holds authority from the chief priests to put in chains all those who invoke your name.”
15 And the LORD said to him, “Go, because this one is a chosen vessel to Me, to carry My Name before nations and kings—also the sons of Israel;
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to uphold my name before the Gentiles and their kings, and the people of Israel.
16 for I will show him how many things he must suffer for My Name.”
I will myself show him all that he has to suffer for my name.”
17 And Ananias went away, and entered into the house, and having put on him [his] hands, said, “Saul, brother, the LORD has sent me—Jesus who appeared to you in the way in which you were coming—that you may see again, and may be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
So Ananias went, entered the house, and, placing his hands on Saul, said, “Saul, my brother, I have been sent by the Lord – by Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here – so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, he also saw again instantly, and having risen, was immersed,
Instantly it seemed as if a film fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized,
19 and having received nourishment, was strengthened, and Saul was with the disciples in Damascus certain days,
and, after he had taken food, he felt his strength return. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples who were at Damascus,
20 and immediately he was preaching the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
and at once began in the synagogues to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God.
21 And all those hearing were amazed and said, “Is this not he who laid waste in Jerusalem those calling on this Name, and here to this intent had come, that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
All who heard him were amazed. “Is not this,” they asked, “the man who worked havoc in Jerusalem among those that invoke this name, and who had also come here for the express purpose of having such persons put in chains and taken before the chief priests?”
22 And Saul was still more strengthened, and he was confounding the Jews dwelling in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.
Saul’s influence, however, kept steadily increasing, and he confounded the Jewish people who lived in Damascus by the proofs that he gave that Jesus was the Christ.
23 And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him,
After some time some of them laid a plot to kill Saul,
24 and their counsel against [him] was known to Saul; they were also watching the gates both day and night, that they may kill him,
but it became known to him. They even watched the gates day and night, to kill him;
25 and the disciples having taken him, by night let him down by the wall, letting down in a basket.
but his disciples let him down by night through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
26 And Saul, having come to Jerusalem, tried to join himself to the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he is a disciple,
On his arrival in Jerusalem, Saul attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, as they did not believe that he was really a disciple.
27 and Barnabas having taken him, brought [him] to the apostles, and declared to them how he saw the LORD in the way, and that He spoke to him, and how in Damascus he was speaking boldly in the Name of Jesus.
Barnabas, however, taking him by the hand, brought him to the apostles, and told them the whole story of how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord, and how the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them, coming in and going out in Jerusalem,
After that, Saul remained in Jerusalem, in close contact with the apostles; and he spoke fearlessly in the name of the Lord,
29 and speaking boldly in the Name of the Lord Jesus; he was both speaking and disputing with the Hellenists, and they were taking in hand to kill him,
talking and arguing with the Jews of foreign birth, who, however, made attempts to kill him.
30 and the brothers having known, brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
But, when the followers found this out, they took him down to Caesarea, and sent him on his way to Tarsus.
31 Then, indeed, the assemblies throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, had peace, being built up, and going on in the fear of the LORD, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
And so it came about that the church, throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, enjoyed peace and became firmly established; and, ordering its life by respect for the Lord and the help of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
32 And it came to pass that Peter, passing throughout all [quarters], also came down to the holy ones who were dwelling at Lydda,
Peter, while traveling from place to place throughout the country, went down to visit the people of Christ living at Lydda.
33 and he found there a certain man, Aeneas by name—for eight years laid on a pallet—who was paralytic,
There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years with paralysis.
34 and Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you; arise and spread for yourself”; and immediately he rose,
“Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ cures you. Get up, and make your bed.” Aeneas got up at once;
35 and all those dwelling at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the LORD.
and all the inhabitants of Lydda and of the Plain of Sharon saw him, and came over to the Lord’s side.
36 And in Joppa there was a certain female disciple, by name Tabitha (which interpreted, is called Dorcas); this woman was full of good works and kind acts that she was doing;
At Joppa there lived a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which is in Greek ‘Dorcas’ – a Gazelle. Her life was spent in doing kind and charitable actions.
37 and it came to pass in those days she, having ailed, died, and having bathed her, they laid her in an upper chamber,
Just at that time she was taken ill, and died; and they had washed her body and laid it out in an upstairs room.
38 and Lydda being near to Joppa, the disciples having heard that Peter is in that [place], sent two men to him, calling on him not to delay to come through to them.
Joppa was near Lydda, and the disciples, having heard that Peter was at Lydda, sent two men with the request that he come to them without delay.
39 And Peter having risen, went with them, whom having come, they brought into the upper chamber, and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing coats and garments, as many as Dorcas was making while she was with them.
Peter returned with them at once. On his arrival, he was taken upstairs, and all the widows came around him in tears, showing the coats and other clothing which Dorcas had made while she was among them.
40 And Peter having put them all forth outside, having bowed the knees, prayed, and having turned to the body, said, “Tabitha, arise”; and she opened her eyes, and having seen Peter, she sat up,
But Peter sent everybody out of the room, and knelt down and prayed. Then, turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha! Stand up.” She opened her eyes, and, seeing Peter, sat up.
41 and having given her [his] hand, he lifted her up, and having called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive,
Giving her his hand, Peter raised her up, and, calling in the widows and others of Christ’s people, presented her to them alive.
42 and it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the LORD;
This became known all through Joppa, and numbers of people came to believe in the Lord.
43 and it came to pass, that he remained many days in Joppa, with a certain one, Simon a tanner.
And Peter stayed some days at Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
