Acts 9
9
The Dramatic Conversion of Paul
1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them tied up to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going, it occurred that, as he drew near to Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven enveloped him. 4 And having fallen on 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 said, “I am Jesus,* whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise up, and go into the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.”
7 Now the men who were travelling with him stood dumbfounded, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 And Saul rose from the ground, but although his eyes were open, he saw nothing. And guiding him by the hand, they led him into Damascus. 9 And he was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a certain disciple in Damascus, Ananias by name. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Behold, I am here, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise, go to the street called ‘Straight,’ and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus, Saul by name. For behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man, Ananias by name, coming in and laying hands on him, in order that he may recover his eyesight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many concerning this man, how much evil he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here, he has authority from the chief priests to tie up all who call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go; for he is a chosen vessel to Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel. 16 For I will make clear to him how much he must suffer for My name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, the One who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me, in order that you may recover your eyesight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately, something like scales fell from his eyes, and he recovered his eyesight. Then, when he got up, he was baptised; 19 and after taking food, he was invigorated.
The Beginning of Paul’s Preaching of Jesus
And he was with the disciples in Damascus for some days. 20 And immediately, he began preaching Jesus in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. 21 And all who heard* him were astonished, and they were saying, “Is not this the one who was destroying in Jerusalem those who call on this Name? And has he not come here for this mission,* so that he may bring them tied up to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul was being empowered all the more, and kept bewildering the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this One* is the Christ.
The Miraculous Escape of Paul
23 And when many days had gone by, the Jews conspired together to kill him, 24 but their conspiracy became known to Saul. And they were also watching the gates both day and night, in order to kill him. 25 But his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
Paul in Jerusalem
26 And when he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and he related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road and that He had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken confidently in the name of Jesus. 28 And he was coming in and going out* among them in Jerusalem, speaking confidently in the name of the Lord. 29 And he kept speaking and debating with the Hellenists,* but they were attempting to kill him. 30 And when the brothers got to know, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
31 Then the church throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being built up. And advancing in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it kept increasing.
The Healing of Aeneas
32 Now it occurred that, as Peter was passing through all those regions,* he came down also to the saints who lived in Lydda. 33 And he found there a certain man, Aeneas by name, bedridden for eight years, who was paralysed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Rise up and make your bed.” And immediately, he rose up. 35 And all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Dorcas Restored to Life
36 Now in Joppa there was a certain female disciple, Tabitha by name, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and philanthropic acts, which she was always doing. 37 And it occurred that in those days after she became sick, she died. And after washing her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was in Lydda, sent two men* to him, urging, “Do not delay to come to us.” 39 So Peter rose and went with them. Having arrived, they brought him up into the upper room. And all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing the tunics and other garments which Dorcas used to make while she was with them. 40 But when Peter had put them all outside and had bowed his knees, he prayed. And turning towards the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And when he had given her his hand, he raised her up. Then, after he summoned the saints and the widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. 43 And it occurred that he stayed in Joppa many days with a certain Simon, a tanner.
Notes
4 One ancient Greek manuscript expands the text at this point by interpolating the declarative sentence It is hard for you to kick against the goads, from 26:14
5 Some ancient Greek manuscripts include the appositive noun phrase the Nazarene from 22:8, hence the reading: I am Jesus, the Nazarene
21 Two ancient Greek manuscripts omit the dependent relative clause, who heard
21 Greek for this
28 Some ancient Greek manuscripts omit the participial phrase and going out
29 Or Greek-speaking Jews
32 The word regions is supplied to the text based on context
38 Some ancient Greek manuscripts omit the noun phrase two men
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
