Acts 9
1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest
2 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.
and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3 While on his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, suddenly a light from the heavens flashed around him.
As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him – “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” he asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the voice answered;
“Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied.
6 “Yet stand up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul were meanwhile standing speechless; they heard the sound of the voice, but saw no one.
The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone.
8 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;
Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see a thing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
9 and for three days he was unable to see, and took nothing either to eat or to drink.
For three days he was without sight, and he did not eat or drink anything.
10 Now there was at Damascus a disciple named Ananias, to whom, in a vision, the Lord said, “Ananias.” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered.
11 “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,
“Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
12 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.”
In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I have heard from many people about this man – how much harm he has done at Jerusalem to your people there.
But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
14 And, here, too, he holds authority from the chief priests to put in chains all those who invoke your name.”
And now he is here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.”
15 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.
“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.
16 I will myself show him all that he has to suffer for my name.”
I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.”
17 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.”
So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 Instantly it seemed as if a film fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized,
At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized,
19 and, after he had taken food, he felt his strength return. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples who were at Damascus,
and after taking some food, he regained his strength. And he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
20 and at once began in the synagogues to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God.
Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.”
21 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?”
All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”
22 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.
But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
23 After some time some of them laid a plot to kill Saul,
After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,
24 but it became known to him. They even watched the gates day and night, to kill him;
but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.
25 but his disciples let him down by night through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.
26 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.
When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
27 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.
Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who spoke to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus.
28 After that, Saul remained in Jerusalem, in close contact with the apostles; and he spoke fearlessly in the name of the Lord,
So Saul stayed with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
29 talking and arguing with the Jews of foreign birth, who, however, made attempts to kill him.
He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.
30 But, when the followers found this out, they took him down to Caesarea, and sent him on his way to Tarsus.
When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31 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.
Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace. It grew in strength and numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
32 Peter, while traveling from place to place throughout the country, went down to visit the people of Christ living at Lydda.
As Peter traveled throughout the area, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.
33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years with paralysis.
There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.
34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ cures you. Get up, and make your bed.” Aeneas got up at once;
“Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and put away your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up,
35 and all the inhabitants of Lydda and of the Plain of Sharon saw him, and came over to the Lord’s side.
and all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
36 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.
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated as Dorcas), who was always occupied with works of kindness and charity.
37 Just at that time she was taken ill, and died; and they had washed her body and laid it out in an upstairs room.
At that time, however, she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upper room.
38 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.
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to urge him, “Come to us without delay.”
39 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.
So Peter got up and went with them. On his arrival, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40 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.
Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
41 Giving her his hand, Peter raised her up, and, calling in the widows and others of Christ’s people, presented her to them alive.
Peter took her by the hand and helped her up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her to them alive.
42 This became known all through Joppa, and numbers of people came to believe in the Lord.
This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.
43 And Peter stayed some days at Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
And Peter stayed for several days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
