Acts 9
1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
But, Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, going unto 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.
asked from him letters for Damascus, unto the synagogues; to the end that, if he should find, any, who were of The Way, whether men or women, he might bring them, bound, unto Jerusalem.
3 While on his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, suddenly a light from the heavens flashed around him.
But, as he was journeying, it came to pass that he was drawing near unto Damascus, and, suddenly, there flashed around him a light out of heaven;
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him – “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
And, falling unto the earth, he heard a voice saying unto him—Saul! Saul! why, me, art thou persecuting?
5 “Who are you, Lord?” he asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the voice answered;
And he said—Who art thou, Lord? And, he, [said] —I, am Jesus, whom, thou, art persecuting!
6 “Yet stand up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
But rise up, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 The men traveling with Saul were meanwhile standing speechless; they heard the sound of the voice, but saw no one.
But, the men who were accompanying him, stood speechless, —hearing, indeed, the voice, but beholding no one.
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;
And Saul arose from the earth, and, his eyes being opened, he could see nothing; and, taking him by the hand, they led him into Damascus, —
9 and for three days he was unable to see, and took nothing either to eat or to drink.
And he was three days without seeing, and did neither eat nor drink.
10 Now there was at Damascus a disciple named Ananias, to whom, in a vision, the Lord said, “Ananias.” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.
Now there was a certain disciple in Damascus, by name Ananias; and, the Lord, said unto him in a vision—Ananias! And, he, said—Lo! I, [am here], Lord!
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,
And the Lord [said] unto him—Rise! go into the street which is called Straight, and seek, in the house of Judas, one Saul, by name, of Tarsus. For lo! 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.”
And hath seen a man [in a vision], Ananias by name, coming in and laying on him his hands, to the intent he should see.
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.
And Ananias, answered—Lord! I have heard from many concerning this man, how many evil things unto thy saints he hath done in Jerusalem;
14 And, here, too, he holds authority from the chief priests to put in chains all those who invoke your name.”
And, here, he hath authority from the High-priests to bind all them that call upon thy 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.
But the Lord said unto him—Be going thy way; for, a choice vessel unto me, is this man, to bear my name before both [the] nations and kings, and the sons of Israel;
16 I will myself show him all that he has to suffer for my name.”
For, I, will let him understand how many things he must needs, for my name, suffer.
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.”
And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and, laying upon him his hands, said—Saul, brother! The Lord, hath sent me, —Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way by which thou wast coming, —that thou mayest recover sight, and be filled with 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,
And, straightway, there fell from him—from his eyes, —as it were scales; he recovered sight also, and, arising, was immersed:
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, receiving food, gained strength. And he came to be with the disciples who were in Damascus certain days;
20 and at once began in the synagogues to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God.
And, straightway, in the synagogues, he began proclaiming Jesus, that, This, 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?”
And all who were hearing were astonished, and began to say—is not, this, he who destroyed, in Jerusalem, them that invoke this name; and, here, for this purpose, had come, in order that he might lead them, bound, unto the High-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 the more gaining power; and was confounding the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, shewing, by comparison, that—This, is the Christ.
23 After some time some of them laid a plot to kill Saul,
Now, when a considerable number of days were being fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him;
24 but it became known to him. They even watched the gates day and night, to kill him;
But their plot was made known unto Saul, —and they were even narrowly watching the gates, both day and night, that they might kill him;
25 but his disciples let him down by night through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
But the disciples, taking him by night, through the wall, let him down, lowering him in a basket.
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.
And, when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he made attempts to join himself unto the disciples; and all were 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.
But, Barnabas, taking him, brought him unto the apostles, and related unto them, —how, in the way, he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken unto him; and how, in Damascus, he had spoken boldly 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,
And he was with them, coming in and going out in Jerusalem, 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.
And was both speaking and discussing with the Grecian Jews, —but, they, were setting to work 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.
And the brethren, discovering it, brought him down into Caesarea, and sent him away unto 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.
So then, the assembly throughout the whole of Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, had peace, building itself up, and going on its way in the fear of the Lord; and, by the advocacy of the Holy Spirit, was being multiplied.
32 Peter, while traveling from place to place throughout the country, went down to visit the people of Christ living at Lydda.
And it came to pass that, Peter, going through all [quarters] went down unto the saints also dwelling in Lydda.
33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years with paralysis.
And he found there a certain man, by name Aeneas, who, for eight years, had been lying prostrate upon a bed, for he was paralysed.
34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ cures you. Get up, and make your bed.” Aeneas got up at once;
And Peter said unto him—Aeneas! Jesus Christ healeth thee! Arise, and smooth thy bed for thyself. And, straightway, he arose.
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 dwelt in Lydda and Saron, saw him, —and, they, turned unto 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.
Now, in Joppa, there was a certain female disciple, by name Tabitha, which, being translated, means Dorcas [a Gazelle]. The same, was full of good works and alms which she was doing.
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.
And it came to pass in those days, that she, sickening, died; and, bathing her, they laid her 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.
Now, Lydda being nigh unto Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was therein, sent off two men unto him, beseeching him—Do not delay to come through unto us!
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.
And Peter, arising, went with them, —whom, when he arrived, they brought up into the upper room; and there stood by him all the widows, weeping, and showing the tunics and mantles—whatsoever things Dorcas was making while she was 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.
But Peter, putting them all outside, knelt down and prayed; and, turning towards the body, said—Tabitha, arise! And she, opening her eyes and seeing Peter, 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.
And, giving her his hand, he raised her up; and, calling the saints and the widows, presented her, living.
42 This became known all through Joppa, and numbers of people came to believe in the Lord.
And it became known throughout the whole of Joppa, and many believed upon the Lord.
43 And Peter stayed some days at Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
And it came to pass that, for a considerable number of days, he abode in Joppa, with one Simon, a tanner.
