Acts 9
9
The Damascus Road
1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples # Mt 9:10; Mk 10:10; Lk 6:1; Jn 6:3; Ac 6:1 of the Lord. He went to the high priest # Ac 8:3; 9:13,21 2and requested letters # Ac 15:30; 22:5; 23:25,33 from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, # Ac 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22 he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3As # Ac 22:6-11; 26:12-18; 1Co 15:8 he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly 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? ” he said.
“I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting,” He replied. 6“But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one. # Dn 10:7; Jn 12:29; Ac 22:9 8Then Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. 9He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.
Saul’s Baptism
10There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias! ”
“Here I am, Lord! ” he said. # Ac 10:3,17,19; 22:12
11“Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus # Ac 9:30; 11:25; 21:39; 22:3 named Saul, since he is praying there. 12In a vision # Other mss omit In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so he can regain his sight.” # Mk 5:23; Ac 9:17
13“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. # Ac 8:3; 9:32; Rm 1:7; 15:25-26,31; 16:2,15 14And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.” # Ac 7:59; 1Co 1:2; 2Tm 2:22
15But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument # Ac 13:2; Rm 1:1; Gl 1:15 to take My name to Gentiles, # Mt 28:19; Rm 1:5; Gl 1:16 kings, and the Israelites. # Ac 25:22; 26:1 16I will show him how much he must suffer for My name! ” # Ac 20:23; 21:4,11; 2Co 6:4-5; 11:23-27; 1Th 3:3
17So Ananias left and entered the house. Then he placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” # Ac 6:6; 22:13
18At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19And after taking some food, he regained his strength. # Ac 11:26; 26:20
Saul Proclaiming the Messiah
Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some days. 20Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.” # Mt 4:3; Ac 13:5,14
21But all who heard him were astounded and said, “Isn’t this the man who, in Jerusalem, was destroying those who called on this name and then came here for the purpose of taking them as prisoners to the chief priests? ” # Ac 8:3; 9:13-14; Gl 1:13,23
22But Saul grew more capable and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this One is the Messiah.
23After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24but their plot became known to Saul. So they were watching the gates day and night intending to kill him, # Ac 20:3,19; 23:12,30; 25:3; 2Co 11:26 25but his disciples took him by night and lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the wall. # Jos 2:15; 1Sm 19:12; 2Co 11:33
Saul in Jerusalem
26When he arrived in Jerusalem, # Ac 22:17; 26:20; Gl 1:17 he tried to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple. 27Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that He had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly # Ac 13:46; 14:3; 18:26; 19:8; 26:26; Eph 6:20; 1Th 2:2 in the name of Jesus. # Ac 4:36; 9:3-6,20,22 28Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, # Lit Hellenists ; that is, Gk-speaking Jews but they attempted to kill him. # Ac 6:1; 2Co 11:26 30When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. # Ac 8:40; Gl 1:21
31So the church # Mt 16:18; 1Co 14:4; Rv 1:4 throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers.
The Healing of Aeneas
32As Peter was traveling from place to place, # Lit Peter was passing through all he also came down to the saints# Rm 1:7; Eph 5:3; 6:18 who lived in Lydda. # 1Ch 8:12; Ezr 2:23; Neh 7:37; 11:35 33There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed,” # Or and get ready to eat and immediately he got up. # Ac 3:6,16; 4:10 35So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon # 1Ch 5:16; 27:29; Sg 2:1; Is 33:9; 35:2; 65:10 saw him and turned to the Lord.
Dorcas Restored to Life
36In Joppa # Jos 19:46; 2Ch 2:16; Ezr 3:7; Jnh 1:3; Ac 10:5 there was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. # = Gazelle She was always doing good works # 1Tm 2:10; Ti 3:8 and acts of charity. 37In those days she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who begged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.” 39So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up! ” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. # Mt 9:25; Mk 5:41; Lk 22:41; Jn 11:43; Ac 7:60 41He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive. 42This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43And Peter stayed on many days in Joppa with Simon, # Ac 10:6,17,32 a leather tanner. # Tanners were considered ritually unclean because of their occupation.
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Acts 9: HCSB
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Acts 9
9
1But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him. 4He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5He said, “Who are you, Lord?”
The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.#9:5 TR adds “It’s hard for you to kick against the cattle prods.” 6But#9:6 TR omits “But” rise up and enter into the city, then you will be told what you must do.”
7The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one. 8Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.
10Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
He said, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.”
11The Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah#9:11 or, Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying, 12and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.”
13But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem. 14Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”
15But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel. 16For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
17Ananias departed and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized. 19He took food and was strengthened.
Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus. 20Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Christ, that he is the Son of God. 21All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”
22But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ. 23When many days were fulfilled, the Jews conspired together to kill him, 24but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him, 25but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.
26When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28He was with them entering into#9:28 TR and NU add “and going out” Jerusalem, 29preaching boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus.#9:29 TR and NU omit “Jesus” and reverse the order of verses 28 & 29. He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists,#9:29 The Hellenists were Hebrews who used Greek language and culture. but they were seeking to kill him. 30When the brothers#9:30 The word for “brothers” here and where the context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.” knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31So the assemblies throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
32As Peter went throughout all those parts, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years because he was paralyzed. 34Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!” Immediately he arose. 35All who lived at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
36Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which when translated means Dorcas.#9:36 “Dorcas” is Greek for “Gazelle.” This woman was full of good works and acts of mercy which she did. 37In those days, she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men#9:38 Reading from NU, TR; MT omits “two men” to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 39Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the tunics and other garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40Peter sent them all out, and knelt down and prayed. 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. Calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43He stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
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