Acts 9
1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
Now Saul, whose every breath was a threat of destruction for the disciples of the Lord,
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.
went to the High Priest and begged from him letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, in order that if he found any believers there, either men or women, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem.
3 While on his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, suddenly a light from the heavens flashed around him.
But on the journey, as he was getting near Damascus, suddenly there flashed round him a light from Heaven;
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him – “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
and falling to the ground he heard a voice which said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
5 “Who are you, Lord?” he asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the voice answered;
"Who art thou, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," was the reply.
6 “Yet stand up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
"But rise and go to the city, and you will be told what you are to do.
7 The men traveling with Saul were meanwhile standing speechless; they heard the sound of the voice, but saw no one.
Meanwhile the men who travelled with Saul were standing dumb with amazement, hearing a sound, but seeing 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;
Then he rose from the ground, but when he had opened his eyes, he could not see, and they led him by the arm and brought him to Damascus.
9 and for three days he was unable to see, and took nothing either to eat or to drink.
And for two days he remained without sight, and 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.
Now in Damascus there was a disciple of the name of Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, saying, "Ananias!" "I am here, 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,
"Rise," said the Lord, "and go to Straight Street, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man called Saul, from Tarsus, for he is actually 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.”
He has seen a man called Ananias come and lay his hands upon him so that he may recover 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.
"Lord," answered Ananias, "I have heard about that man from many, and I have heard of the great mischief he has done to Thy people 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 is authorized by the High Priests to arrest all who 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.
"Go," replied the Lord; "he is a chosen instrument of Mine to carry My name to the Gentiles and to kings and to the descendants of Israel.
16 I will myself show him all that he has to suffer for my name.”
For I will let him know the great sufferings which he must pass through for My sake."
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 and entered the house; and, laying his two hands upon Saul, said, "Saul, brother, the Lord--even Jesus who appeared to you on your journey--has sent me, that you may recover your sight 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,
Instantly there dropped from his eyes what seemed to be scales, and he could see once more. Upon this he rose and received baptism;
19 and, after he had taken food, he felt his strength return. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples who were at Damascus,
after which he took food and regained his strength. Then he remained some little time with the disciples in Damascus.
20 and at once began in the synagogues to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God.
And in the synagogues he began at once to proclaim Jesus as 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 his hearers were all amazed, and began to ask one another, "Is not this the man who in Jerusalem tried to exterminate those who called upon that Name, and came here on purpose to carry them off in chains to 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.
Saul, however, gained more and more influence, and as for the Jews living in Damascus, he bewildered them with his proofs that Jesus is the Christ.
23 After some time some of them laid a plot to kill Saul,
At length the Jews plotted to kill Saul;
24 but it became known to him. They even watched the gates day and night, to kill him;
but information of their intention was given to him. They even watched the gates, day and night, in order to murder him;
25 but his disciples let him down by night through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a hamper.
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.
So he came to Jerusalem and made several attempts to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, being in doubt as to whether he himself 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.
Barnabas, however, came to his assistance. He brought Saul to the Apostles, and related to them how, on his journey, he had seen the Lord, and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had fearlessly taught 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,
Henceforth Saul was one of them, going in and out of the city,
29 talking and arguing with the Jews of foreign birth, who, however, made attempts to kill him.
and speaking fearlessly in the name of the Lord. And he often talked with the Hellenists and had discussions with them.
30 But, when the followers found this out, they took him down to Caesarea, and sent him on his way to Tarsus.
But they kept trying to take his life. On learning this, the brethren brought him down to Caesarea, and then sent him by sea 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.
The Church, however, throughout the whole of Judaea, Galilee and Samaria, had peace and was spiritually built up; and grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and receiving encouragement from 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.
Now Peter, as he went to town after town, came down also to God's people at Lud.
33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years with paralysis.
There he found a man of the name of Aeneas, who for eight years had kept his bed, through being paralysed.
34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ cures you. Get up, and make your bed.” Aeneas got up at once;
Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you. Rise and make your own bed." He at once rose to his feet.
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 the people of Lud and Sharon saw him; and they 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.
Among the disciples at Jaffa was a woman called Tabitha, or, as the name may be translated, 'Dorcas.' Her life was wholly devoted to the good and charitable actions which she was constantly 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.
But, as it happened, just at that time she was taken ill and died. After washing her body they laid it out in a room upstairs.
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.
Lud, however, being near Jaffa, the disciples, who had heard that Peter was at Lud, sent two men to him with an urgent request that he would come across to them 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 rose and went with them. On his arrival they took him upstairs, and the widow women all came and stood by his side, weeping and showing him the underclothing and cloaks and garments of all kinds which Dorcas used to make 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.
Peter, however, putting every one out of the room, knelt down and prayed, and then turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, rise." Dorcas at once opened 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.
Then, giving her his hand, he raised her to her feet and, calling to him God's people and the widows, he gave her back to them alive.
42 This became known all through Joppa, and numbers of people came to believe in the Lord.
This incident became known throughout Jaffa, and many believed in the Lord;
43 And Peter stayed some days at Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
and Peter remained for a considerable time at Jaffa, staying at the house of a man called Simon, a tanner.
