Acts
9
- Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out
murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest
- and asked him for letters to the synagogues
in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether
men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
- As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly
a light from heaven flashed around him.
- He fell to the ground and heard a voice
say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me ?"
- "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.
- "Now get up and go into the city, and
you will be told what you must do."
- The men traveling with Saul stood there
speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
- Saul got up from the ground, but when he
opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
- For three days he was blind, and did not
eat or drink anything.
- In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias.
The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord,"
he answered.
- 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.
- In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias
come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."
- "Lord," Ananias answered, "I
have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your
saints in Jerusalem.
- And he has come here with authority from
the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."
- But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go!
This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and
their kings and before the people of Israel.
- I will show him how much he must suffer
for my name."
- Then Ananias went to the house and entered
it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, 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."
- Immediately, something like scales fell
from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,
- and after taking some food, he regained
his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
- At once he began to preach in the synagogues
that Jesus is the Son of God.
- All those who heard him were astonished
and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those
who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to
the chief priests ?"
- Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and
baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
- After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired
to kill him,
- but Saul learned of their plan. Day and
night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.
- But his followers took him by night and
lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
- When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join
the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really
was a disciple.
- But Barnabas took him and brought him to
the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that
the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly
in the name of Jesus.
- So Saul stayed with them and moved about
freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
- He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews,
but they tried to kill him.
- When the brothers learned of this, they
took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
- Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee
and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by
the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
- As Peter traveled about the country, he
went to visit the saints in Lydda.
- There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic
who had been bedridden for eight years.
- "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus
Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas
got up.
- All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon
saw him and turned to the Lord.
- In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha
(which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping
the poor.
- About that time she became sick and died,
and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.
- Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples
heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please
come at once !"
- Peter went with them, and when he arrived
he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying
and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she
was still with them.
- Peter sent them all out of the room; then
he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said,
"Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat
up.
- He took her by the hand and helped her to
her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to
them alive.
- This became known all over Joppa, and many
people believed in the Lord.
- Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with
a tanner named Simon.
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