Acts 9
9
1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and beatings against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
2 and he petitioned him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that, if he found any men or women belonging to this Way, he could lead them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3 And as he made the journey, it happened that he was approaching Damascus. And suddenly, a light from heaven shone around him.
4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goad."
6 And he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"
7 And the Lord said to him, "Rise up and go into the city, and there you will be told what you ought to do." Now the men who were accompanying him were standing stupefied, hearing indeed a voice, but seeing no one.
8 Then Saul rose up from the ground. And upon opening his eyes, he saw nothing. So leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.
9 And in that place, he was without sight for three days, and he neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias!" And he said, "Here I am, Lord."
11 And the Lord said to him: "Rise up and go into the street that is called Straight, and seek, in the house of Judas, the one named Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying."
12 (And Paul saw a man named Ananias entering and imposing hands upon him, so that he might receive his sight.)
13 But Ananias responded: "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.
14 And he has authority here from the leaders of the priests to bind all who invoke your name."
15 Then the Lord said to him: "Go, for this one is an instrument chosen by me to convey my name before nations and kings and the sons of Israel.
16 For I will reveal to him how much he must suffer on behalf of my name."
17 And Ananias departed. And he entered the house. And laying his hands upon him, he said: "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, he who appeared to you on the way by which you arrived, sent me so that you would receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
18 And immediately, it was as if scales had fallen from his eyes, and he received his sight. And rising up, he was baptized.
19 And when he had taken a meal, he was strengthened. Now he was with the disciples who were at Damascus for some days.
20 And he was continuously preaching Jesus in the synagogues: that he is the Son of God.
21 And all who heard him were astonished, and they said, "Is this not the one who, in Jerusalem, was fighting against those invoking this name, and who came here for this: so that he might lead them away to the leaders of the priests?"
22 But Saul was increasing to a greater extent in ability, and so he was confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus, by affirming that he is the Christ.
23 And when many days were completed, the Jews took counsel as one, so that they might put him to death.
24 But their treachery became known to Saul. Now they were also watching the gates, day and night, so that they might put him to death.
25 But the disciples, taking him away by night, sent him over the wall by letting him down in a basket.
26 And when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he attempted to join himself to the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him aside and led him to the Apostles. And he explained to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how, in Damascus, he had acted faithfully in the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them, entering and departing Jerusalem, and acting faithfully in the name of the Lord.
29 He also was speaking with the Gentiles and disputing with the Greeks. But they were seeking to kill him.
30 And when the brothers had realized this, they brought him to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
31 Certainly, the Church had peace throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and it was being built up, while walking in the fear of the Lord, and it was being filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.
32 Then it happened that Peter, as he traveled around everywhere, came to the saints who were living at Lydda.
33 But he found there a certain man, named Aeneas, who was a paralytic, who had lain in bed for eight years.
34 And Peter said to him: "Aeneas, the Lord Jesus Christ heals you. Rise up and arrange your bed." And immediately he rose up.
35 And all who were living in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were converted to the Lord.
36 Now in Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which in translation is called Dorcas. She was filled with the good works and almsgiving that she was accomplishing.
37 And it happened that, in those days, she became ill and died. And when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
38 Now since Lydda was close to Joppa, the disciples, upon hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, asking him: "Do not be slow in coming to us."
39 Then Peter, rising up, went with them. And when he had arrived, they led him to an upper room. And all the widows were standing around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and garments that Dorcas had made for them.
40 And when they had all been sent outside, Peter, kneeling down, prayed. And turning to the body, he said: "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes and, upon seeing Peter, sat up again.
41 And offering her his hand, he lifted her up. And when he had called in the saints and the widows, he presented her alive.
42 Now this became known throughout all of Joppa. And many believed in the Lord.
43 And it happened that he resided for many days in Joppa, with a certain Simon, a tanner.
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Acts 9: CPDV
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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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