Acts of the Apostles 9
9
Saul encounters the risen Jesus
1Meanwhile, Saul was still spewing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest, 2seeking letters to the synagogues in Damascus. If he found persons who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, these letters would authorize him to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3During the journey, as he approached Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven encircled him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice asking him, “Saul, Saul, why are you harassing me?”
5Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?”
“I am Jesus, whom you are harassing,” came the reply. 6“Now get up and enter the city. You will be told what you must do.”
7Those traveling with him stood there speechless; they heard the voice but saw no one. 8After they picked Saul up from the ground, he opened his eyes but he couldn’t see. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9For three days he was blind and neither ate nor drank anything.
10In Damascus there was a certain disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
He answered, “Yes, Lord.”
11The Lord instructed him, “Go to Judas’ house on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying. 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias enter and put his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13Ananias countered, “Lord, I have heard many reports about this man. People say he has done horrible things to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14He’s here with authority from the chief priests to arrest everyone who calls on your name.”
15The Lord replied, “Go! This man is the agent I have chosen to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
17Ananias went to the house. He placed his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord sent me—Jesus, who appeared to you on the way as you were coming here. He sent me so that you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18Instantly, flakes fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. He got up and was baptized. 19After eating, he regained his strength.
He stayed with the disciples in Damascus for several days. 20Right away, he began to preach about Jesus in the synagogues. “He is God’s Son,” he declared.
21Everyone who heard him was baffled. They questioned each other, “Isn’t he the one who was wreaking havoc among those in Jerusalem who called on this name? Hadn’t he come here to take those same people as prisoners to the chief priests?”
22But Saul grew stronger and stronger. He confused the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
23After this had gone on for some time, the Jews hatched a plot to kill Saul. 24However, he found out about their scheme. They were keeping watch at the city gates around the clock so they could assassinate him. 25But his disciples took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the city wall.
26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn’t believe he was really a disciple. 27Then Barnabas brought Saul to the apostles and told them the story about how Saul saw the Lord on the way and that the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them about the confidence with which Saul had preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus. 28After this, Saul moved freely among the disciples in Jerusalem and was speaking with confidence in the name of the Lord. 29He got into debates with the Greek-speaking Jews as well, but they tried to kill him. 30When the family of believers learned about this, they escorted him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. God strengthened the church, and its life was marked by reverence for the Lord. Encouraged by the Holy Spirit, the church continued to grow in numbers.
Peter heals and raises the dead
32As Peter toured the whole region, he went to visit God’s holy people in Lydda. 33There he found a man named Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been confined to his bed for eight years. 34Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and make your bed.” At once he got up. 35Everyone who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas). Her life overflowed with good works and compassionate acts on behalf of those in need. 37About that time, though, she became so ill that she died. After they washed her body, they laid her in an upstairs room. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two people to Peter. They urged, “Please come right away!” 39Peter went with them. Upon his arrival, he was taken to the upstairs room. All the widows stood beside him, crying as they showed the tunics and other clothing Dorcas made when she was alive.
40Peter sent everyone out of the room, then knelt and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. 41He gave her his hand and raised her up. Then he called God’s holy people, including the widows, and presented her alive to them. 42The news spread throughout Joppa, and many put their faith in the Lord. 43Peter stayed for some time in Joppa with a certain tanner named Simon.
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Acts of the Apostles 9: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Acts 9
9
Saul Turns from Murder to Messiah
1Now Saul, still breathing out threats and murder against the Lord’s disciples, went to the kohen gadol .
2He requested letters of introduction from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3As he was traveling, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5“Who are You, Lord?” Saul said. “I am Yeshua—whom you are persecuting.
6But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7The men travelling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
8Saul got up from the ground—but opening his eyes, he could see nothing. They led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
9For three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink.
10Now there was a disciple named Ananias in Damascus. The Lord said to him, “Ananias.” He said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street named Straight, and ask in the house of Judah for someone from Tarsus named Saul. For look, he is praying;
12and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.”
13But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man—how much harm he has done to your kedoshim in Jerusalem.
14And here he has authority from the ruling kohanim to tie up all who call on Your name.”
15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a choice instrument to carry My name before nations and kings and Bnei-Yisrael.
16For I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
17So Ananias left and entered into the house. Laying hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Yeshua, the One who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming—has sent me, so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh.”
18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was immersed;
19and when he had taken food, he was strengthened. Now for several days, he was with the disciples in Damascus.
20Immediately he began proclaiming Yeshua in the synagogues, saying, “He is Ben-Elohim.”
21All those hearing him were amazed. They were saying, “Isn’t this the one who made havoc in Jerusalem for all those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to bring them as prisoners before the ruling kohanim?”
22But Saul kept growing stronger, and he was confounding the Jewish people living in Damascus by proving that Yeshua is the Messiah.
23When many days had passed, these Jewish people plotted to kill him—
24but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night, to kill him.
25But the disciples took Saul by night and let him down over the wall, lowering him in a basket.
26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he made attempts to join up with the disciples—but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
27But Barnabas took him in and brought him to the emissaries. He described to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and the Lord had spoken to him, and how he had spoken boldly in the name of Yeshua.
28So Saul was with them, going in and out in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
29He was speaking and arguing with the Hellenists, but they were trying to kill him.
30When the brothers found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31So Messiah’s community throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had shalom and was built up. Walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, it kept multiplying.
Signs and Wonders Follow Peter
32Peter went here and there among them all. He came down as well to the kedoshim living in Lydda.
33There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years—he was paralyzed.
34Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Messiah Yeshua heals you. Get up and pack up your bed.” Immediately, he got up!
35All who lived in Lydda and the Plain of Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
36In Joppa, there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translates as Dorcas). She was full of mitzvot and tzadakah, which she continually did.
37In those days, she became ill and died. When they had washed her for burial, they placed her in an upstairs room.
38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples—hearing that Peter was there—sent two men to him, begging him, “Please come to us without delay!”
39So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. All the widows were crying, showing all the tunics and other clothing Dorcas had made while she was with them.
40But Peter sent them all outside, and he got down on his knees and prayed. Then, turning to the body, he said “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41He gave her his hand and raised her up. Then he called the kedoshim and widows and presented her alive.
42It became known throughout Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord.
43So it happened that Peter stayed on in Joppa for several days with Simon, a tanner.
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