Πραξεις 9
1 ο δε σαυλος ετι εμπνεων απειλης και φονου εις τους μαθητας του κυριου προσελθων τω αρχιερει
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
2 ητησατο παρ αυτου επιστολας εις δαμασκον προς τας συναγωγας οπως εαν τινας ευρη της οδου οντας ανδρας τε και γυναικας δεδεμενους αγαγη εις ιερουσαλημ
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 εν δε τω πορευεσθαι εγενετο αυτον εγγιζειν τη δαμασκω εξαιφνης τε αυτον περιηστραψεν φως εκ του ουρανου
While on his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, suddenly a light from the heavens flashed around him.
4 και πεσων επι την γην ηκουσεν φωνην λεγουσαν αυτω σαουλ σαουλ τι με διωκεις
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him – “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
5 ειπεν δε τις ει κυριε ο δε εγω ειμι ιησους ον συ διωκεις
“Who are you, Lord?” he asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the voice answered;
6 αλλα αναστηθι και εισελθε εις την πολιν και λαληθησεται σοι ο τι σε δει ποιειν
“Yet stand up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 οι δε ανδρες οι συνοδευοντες αυτω ειστηκεισαν ενεοι ακουοντες μεν της φωνης μηδενα δε θεωρουντες
The men traveling with Saul were meanwhile standing speechless; they heard the sound of the voice, but saw no one.
8 ηγερθη δε σαυλος απο της γης ανεωγμενων δε των οφθαλμων αυτου ουδεν εβλεπεν χειραγωγουντες δε αυτον εισηγαγον εις δαμασκον
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 και ην ημερας τρεις μη βλεπων και ουκ εφαγεν ουδε επιεν
and for three days he was unable to see, and took nothing either to eat or to drink.
10 ην δε τις μαθητης εν δαμασκω ονοματι ανανιας και ειπεν προς αυτον εν οραματι ο κυριος ανανια ο δε ειπεν ιδου εγω κυριε
Now there was at Damascus a disciple named Ananias, to whom, in a vision, the Lord said, “Ananias.” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 ο δε κυριος προς αυτον {VAR1: αναστα } {VAR2: αναστας } πορευθητι επι την ρυμην την καλουμενην ευθειαν και ζητησον εν οικια ιουδα σαυλον ονοματι ταρσεα ιδου γαρ προσευχεται
“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 και ειδεν ανδρα [εν οραματι] ανανιαν ονοματι εισελθοντα και επιθεντα αυτω [τας] χειρας οπως αναβλεψη
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 απεκριθη δε ανανιας κυριε ηκουσα απο πολλων περι του ανδρος τουτου οσα κακα τοις αγιοις σου εποιησεν εν ιερουσαλημ
“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 και ωδε εχει εξουσιαν παρα των αρχιερεων δησαι παντας τους επικαλουμενους το ονομα σου
And, here, too, he holds authority from the chief priests to put in chains all those who invoke your name.”
15 ειπεν δε προς αυτον ο κυριος πορευου οτι σκευος εκλογης εστιν μοι ουτος του βαστασαι το ονομα μου ενωπιον {VAR1: [των] } εθνων τε και βασιλεων υιων τε ισραηλ
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 εγω γαρ υποδειξω αυτω οσα δει αυτον υπερ του ονοματος μου παθειν
I will myself show him all that he has to suffer for my name.”
17 απηλθεν δε ανανιας και εισηλθεν εις την οικιαν και επιθεις επ αυτον τας χειρας ειπεν σαουλ αδελφε ο κυριος απεσταλκεν με ιησους ο οφθεις σοι εν τη οδω η ηρχου οπως αναβλεψης και πλησθης πνευματος αγιου
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 και ευθεως απεπεσαν αυτου απο των οφθαλμων ως λεπιδες ανεβλεψεν τε και αναστας εβαπτισθη
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 και λαβων τροφην {VAR1: ενισχυθη } {VAR2: ενισχυσεν } εγενετο δε μετα των εν δαμασκω μαθητων ημερας τινας
and, after he had taken food, he felt his strength return. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples who were at Damascus,
20 και ευθεως εν ταις συναγωγαις εκηρυσσεν τον ιησουν οτι ουτος εστιν ο υιος του θεου
and at once began in the synagogues to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God.
21 εξισταντο δε παντες οι ακουοντες και ελεγον ουχ ουτος εστιν ο πορθησας {VAR1: εν } {VAR2: εις } ιερουσαλημ τους επικαλουμενους το ονομα τουτο και ωδε εις τουτο εληλυθει ινα δεδεμενους αυτους αγαγη επι τους αρχιερεις
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 σαυλος δε μαλλον ενεδυναμουτο και συνεχυννεν {VAR2: [τους] } ιουδαιους τους κατοικουντας εν δαμασκω συμβιβαζων οτι ουτος εστιν ο χριστος
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 ως δε επληρουντο ημεραι ικαναι συνεβουλευσαντο οι ιουδαιοι ανελειν αυτον
After some time some of them laid a plot to kill Saul,
24 εγνωσθη δε τω σαυλω η επιβουλη αυτων παρετηρουντο δε και τας πυλας ημερας τε και νυκτος οπως αυτον ανελωσιν
but it became known to him. They even watched the gates day and night, to kill him;
25 λαβοντες δε οι μαθηται αυτου νυκτος δια του τειχους καθηκαν αυτον χαλασαντες εν σπυριδι
but his disciples let him down by night through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
26 παραγενομενος δε εις ιερουσαλημ επειραζεν κολλασθαι τοις μαθηταις και παντες εφοβουντο αυτον μη πιστευοντες οτι εστιν μαθητης
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 βαρναβας δε επιλαβομενος αυτον ηγαγεν προς τους αποστολους και διηγησατο αυτοις πως εν τη οδω ειδεν τον κυριον και οτι ελαλησεν αυτω και πως εν δαμασκω επαρρησιασατο εν τω ονοματι {VAR2: του } ιησου
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 και ην μετ αυτων εισπορευομενος και εκπορευομενος εις ιερουσαλημ παρρησιαζομενος εν τω ονοματι του κυριου
After that, Saul remained in Jerusalem, in close contact with the apostles; and he spoke fearlessly in the name of the Lord,
29 ελαλει τε και συνεζητει προς τους ελληνιστας οι δε επεχειρουν ανελειν αυτον
talking and arguing with the Jews of foreign birth, who, however, made attempts to kill him.
30 επιγνοντες δε οι αδελφοι κατηγαγον αυτον εις καισαρειαν και εξαπεστειλαν αυτον εις ταρσον
But, when the followers found this out, they took him down to Caesarea, and sent him on his way to Tarsus.
31 η μεν ουν εκκλησια καθ ολης της ιουδαιας και γαλιλαιας και σαμαρειας ειχεν ειρηνην οικοδομουμενη και πορευομενη τω φοβω του κυριου και τη παρακλησει του αγιου πνευματος επληθυνετο
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 εγενετο δε πετρον διερχομενον δια παντων κατελθειν και προς τους αγιους τους κατοικουντας λυδδα
Peter, while traveling from place to place throughout the country, went down to visit the people of Christ living at Lydda.
33 ευρεν δε εκει ανθρωπον τινα ονοματι αινεαν εξ ετων οκτω κατακειμενον επι κραβαττου ος ην παραλελυμενος
There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years with paralysis.
34 και ειπεν αυτω ο πετρος αινεα ιαται σε ιησους χριστος αναστηθι και στρωσον σεαυτω και ευθεως ανεστη
“Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ cures you. Get up, and make your bed.” Aeneas got up at once;
35 και ειδαν αυτον παντες οι κατοικουντες λυδδα και τον σαρωνα οιτινες επεστρεψαν επι τον κυριον
and all the inhabitants of Lydda and of the Plain of Sharon saw him, and came over to the Lord’s side.
36 εν ιοππη δε τις ην μαθητρια ονοματι ταβιθα η διερμηνευομενη λεγεται δορκας αυτη ην πληρης εργων αγαθων και ελεημοσυνων ων εποιει
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 εγενετο δε εν ταις ημεραις εκειναις ασθενησασαν αυτην αποθανειν λουσαντες δε εθηκαν {VAR2: [αυτην] } εν υπερωω
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 εγγυς δε ουσης λυδδας τη ιοππη οι μαθηται ακουσαντες οτι πετρος εστιν εν αυτη απεστειλαν δυο ανδρας προς αυτον παρακαλουντες μη οκνησης διελθειν εως ημων
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 αναστας δε πετρος συνηλθεν αυτοις ον παραγενομενον ανηγαγον εις το υπερωον και παρεστησαν αυτω πασαι αι χηραι κλαιουσαι και επιδεικνυμεναι χιτωνας και ιματια οσα εποιει μετ αυτων ουσα η δορκας
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 εκβαλων δε εξω παντας ο πετρος και θεις τα γονατα προσηυξατο και επιστρεψας προς το σωμα ειπεν ταβιθα αναστηθι η δε ηνοιξεν τους οφθαλμους αυτης και ιδουσα τον πετρον ανεκαθισεν
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 δους δε αυτη χειρα ανεστησεν αυτην φωνησας δε τους αγιους και τας χηρας παρεστησεν αυτην ζωσαν
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 γνωστον δε εγενετο καθ ολης {VAR2: της } ιοππης και επιστευσαν πολλοι επι τον κυριον
This became known all through Joppa, and numbers of people came to believe in the Lord.
43 εγενετο δε ημερας ικανας μειναι εν ιοππη παρα τινι σιμωνι βυρσει
And Peter stayed some days at Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
