Acts 9

(Acts 22:1–21; Acts 26:1–23)

1MeanwhileG1161, SaulG4569 was stillG2089 breathing outG1709 murderousG5408 threatsG547 againstG1519 theG3588 disciplesG3101 of theG3588 LordG2962. He approachedG4334 theG3588 high priestG749 2and requestedG154G3844G846 lettersG1992 toG4314 theG3588 synagoguesG4864 inG1519 DamascusG1154, so thatG3704 ifG1437 he foundG2147 anyG5100 menG435 or womenG1135 belongingG1510 to theG3588 WayG3598, he could bring them as prisonersG1210G71 toG1519 JerusalemG2419.

3

As Saul drew nearG1448 to DamascusG1154 onG1722 his journeyG4198, suddenlyG1810 a lightG5457 fromG1537 heavenG3772 flashed aroundG4015 himG846. 4He fellG4098 toG1909 theG3588 groundG1093 and heardG191 a voiceG5456 sayG3004 to himG846, “SaulG4549, SaulG4549, whyG5101 do you persecuteG1377 MeG1473?”

5“WhoG5101 are YouG1510, LordG2962?” Saul askedG2036.

“IG1473 amG1510 JesusG2424, whomG3739 youG4771 are persecutingG1377,” He replied.1 6“NowG235 get upG450 andG2532 go intoG1525G1519 theG3588 cityG4172, andG2532 you will be toldG2980G4771 whatG5101 youG4771 mustG1163 doG4160.”

7

TheG3588 menG435 traveling withG4922 Saul stoodG2476 there speechlessG1769. They heardG191 theG3588 voiceG5456 butG1161 did not seeG2334 anyone. 8SaulG4569 got upG1453 fromG575 theG3588 groundG1093, butG1161 when he openedG455 hisG846 eyesG3788 he could not seeG991 a thing.2 So they led him by the handG5496G846G1521 intoG1519 DamascusG1154. 9For threeG5140 daysG2250 he wasG1510 withoutG3361 sightG991, andG2532 he did not eatG3756G5315 or drinkG4095 anything.

10

Ananias Baptizes Saul

InG1722 DamascusG1154 there wasG1510 aG5100 discipleG3101 namedG3686 AnaniasG367. TheG3588 LordG2962 spokeG2036 toG4314 himG846 inG1722 a visionG3705, “AnaniasG367!”

“HereG2400 IG1473 am, LordG2962,” he answeredG2036.

11“Get upG450!” theG3588 LordG2962 told himG846. “GoG4198 toG1909 the houseG3614 of JudasG2455 onG1722 StraightG2117 StreetG4505 andG2532 ask forG2212 a man from TarsusG5018 namedG3686 SaulG4569, forG1063 he isG2400 prayingG4336. 12InG1722 a visionG3705 he has seenG3708 a manG435 namedG3686 AnaniasG367 comeG1525 andG2532 placeG2007 his handsG5495 on himG846 toG3704 restore his sightG308.”

13ButG1161 AnaniasG367 answeredG611, “LordG2962, manyG575G4183 people have told meG191 aboutG4012 thisG3778 manG435 and allG3745 the harmG2556 he has doneG4160 toG3588 YourG4771 saintsG40 inG1722 JerusalemG2419. 14And nowG2532 he is hereG5602 withG2192 authorityG1849 fromG3844 theG3588 chief priestsG749 to arrestG1210 allG3956 whoG3588 call onG1941 YourG4771 nameG3686.”

15“GoG4198!” saidG2036 theG3588 LordG2962. “ThisG3778 man isG1510 MyG1473 chosenG1589 instrumentG4632 to carryG941 MyG1473 nameG3686 beforeG1799 theG3588 GentilesG1484 and theirG5037G2532 kingsG935, andG5037 before the peopleG5207 of IsraelG2474. 16IG1473 will showG5263 himG846 how muchG3745 heG846 mustG1163 sufferG3958 forG5228 MyG1473 nameG3686.”

17So AnaniasG367 wentG565 to theG3588 houseG3614, andG2532 when he arrivedG1525G1519, he placedG2007 his handsG5495 onG1909 Saul. “BrotherG80 SaulG4549,” he saidG2036, “theG3588 LordG2962 JesusG2424, whoG3588 appearedG3708 to youG4771 onG1722 theG3588 roadG3598 as you were comingG2064 here, has sentG649 meG1473 so thatG3704 you may see againG308 andG2532 be filledG4130 with the HolyG40 SpiritG4151.”

18

At that instantG2112, something likeG5613 scalesG3013 fellG634 fromG575 Saul’s eyesG3788, andG5037 his sight was restoredG308. He got upG450 and was baptizedG907, 19andG2532 after takingG2983 some foodG5160, he regained his strengthG1765. AndG1161 he spentG1096 severalG5100 daysG2250 withG3326 theG3588 disciplesG3101 inG1722 DamascusG1154.

20

Saul Preaches at Damascus

Saul promptly began to proclaimG2112G2784 JesusG2424 inG1722 theG3588 synagoguesG4864, declaring, “HeG3778 isG1510 theG3588 SonG5207 of GodG2316.”

21

AllG3956 whoG3588 heardG191 him were astoundedG1839 andG2532 askedG2036, “Isn’tG1510G3756 thisG3778 theG3588 man who wreaked havocG4199 inG1519 JerusalemG2419 on thoseG3588 who call onG1941 thisG3778 nameG3686? AndG2532 hasn’t he comeG2064 hereG5602 toG2443 takeG71 themG846 as prisonersG1210 toG1909 theG3588 chief priestsG749?”

22ButG1161 SaulG4569 was empoweredG1743 all the moreG3123, andG2532 he confoundedG4797 theG3588 JewsG2453 livingG2730 inG1722 DamascusG1154 by provingG4822 thatG3754 Jesus isG1510 theG3588 ChristG5547.

23

The Escape from Damascus

AfterG5613 manyG2425 daysG2250 had passedG4137, theG3588 JewsG2453 conspiredG4823 to killG337 himG846, 24butG1161 SaulG4569 learned ofG1097 theirG846 plotG1917. DayG2250 andG5037 nightG3571 they watchedG2532G3906 theG3588 city gatesG4439 in orderG3704 to killG337 himG846. 25One nightG3571, howeverG1161, hisG846 disciplesG3101 tookG2983 him and loweredG5465 him inG1722 a basketG4711 throughG1223 a window in theG3588 wallG5038.3

Saul in Jerusalem

26When Saul arrivedG3854 inG1519 JerusalemG2419, he triedG3985 to joinG2853 theG3588 disciplesG3101, but they were all afraid ofG3956G5399 himG846, notG3361 believingG4100 thatG3754 he wasG1510 a discipleG3101. 27ThenG1161 BarnabasG921 broughtG1949G846G71 him toG4314 theG3588 apostlesG652 andG2532 describedG1334G846 howG4459 Saul had seenG3708 theG3588 LordG2962, who had spokenG2980 to himG846 onG1722 theG3588 roadG3598 to Damascus, andG2532 howG4459 Saul had spoken boldlyG3955 inG1722 that city inG1722 theG3588 nameG3686 of JesusG2424.

28So Saul stayedG1510 withG3326 themG846, moving about freelyG1531G2532G1607 inG1519 JerusalemG2419 and speaking boldlyG3955 inG1722 theG3588 nameG3686 of theG3588 LordG2962. 29He talkedG2980 andG2532 debatedG4802 withG4314 theG3588 Grecian JewsG1675,4 butG1161 they triedG2021 to killG337 himG846. 30When theG3588 brothersG80 learned ofG1921 this, they took him downG2609G846 toG1519 CaesareaG2542 andG2532 sent him offG1821G846 toG1519 TarsusG5019.

The Healing of Aeneas

31ThenG3767 theG3588 churchG1577 throughoutG2596G3650 JudeaG2449, GalileeG1056, andG2532 SamariaG4540 experiencedG2192 a time of peaceG1515. It grew in strengthG3618 andG2532 numbersG4129, livingG4198 in theG3588 fearG5401 of theG3588 LordG2962 andG2532 theG3588 encouragementG3874 of theG3588 HolyG40 SpiritG4151.

32

AsG1096 PeterG4074 traveledG1330 throughoutG1223 the area, he went toG2532G2718G4314 visit theG3588 saintsG40 in LyddaG3069. 33ThereG1563 he foundG2147 aG5100 manG444 namedG3686 AeneasG132 whoG3739 had beenG1510 paralyzedG3886 and bedriddenG2621G1909G2895 forG1537 eightG3638 yearsG2094. 34“AeneasG132,” PeterG4074 saidG2036 to himG846, “JesusG2424 ChristG5547 healsG2390 youG4771! Get upG450 andG2532 put away your matG4766G4572.” ImmediatelyG2112 Aeneas got upG450, 35andG2532 allG3956 whoG3588 lived inG2730 LyddaG3069 andG2532 SharonG4565 sawG3708 himG846 and turnedG1994 toG1909 theG3588 LordG2962.

36

The Raising of Tabitha

(John 11:38–44)

InG1722 JoppaG2445 there wasG1510 aG5100 discipleG3102 namedG3686 TabithaG5000 (whichG3739 is translatedG1329 asG3004 DorcasG1393),5 whoG3778 wasG1510 alwaysG4160 occupied withG4134 worksG2041 of kindnessG18 andG2532 charityG1654. 37AtG1722 thatG1565 timeG2250, howeverG1161, she became sickG1096G770 and diedG599, andG1161 her body was washedG3068G846 and placedG5087 inG1722 an upper roomG5253. 38Since LyddaG3069 wasG1510 nearG1451 JoppaG2445, theG3588 disciplesG3101, hearingG191 thatG3754 PeterG4074 wasG1510 there, sentG649 twoG1417 menG435 to urgeG3870 himG846, “ComeG1330 toG2193 usG1473 withoutG3361 delayG3635.”

39So PeterG4074 got upG450 and went withG4905 themG846. On his arrivalG3739G3854, they tookG321 him toG1519 theG3588 upper roomG5253. AllG3956 theG3588 widowsG5503 stood aroundG3936 himG846, weepingG2799 andG2532 showingG1925 him the tunicsG5509 andG2532 other clothingG2440 thatG3745 DorcasG1393 had madeG4160 while she was stillG1510 withG3326 themG846.

40ThenG1161 PeterG4074 sentG1544 them allG3956 out of the roomG1854. He knelt downG5087G3588G1119 and prayedG4336, andG2532 turningG1994 towardG4314 her bodyG4983, he saidG2036, “TabithaG5000, get upG450!” She openedG455 herG846 eyesG3788, andG2532 seeingG3708 PeterG4074, she sat upG339. 41Peter tookG1325 herG846 by the handG5495 and helped her upG450G846. ThenG1161 he calledG5455 theG3588 saintsG40 andG2532 widowsG5503 and presentedG3936 herG846 to them aliveG2198.

42

This becameG1096 knownG1110 allG3650 overG2596 JoppaG2445, andG2532 manyG4183 people believedG4100 inG1909 theG3588 LordG2962. 43AndG1161G1096 Peter stayed forG3306 severalG2425 daysG2250 inG1722 JoppaG2445 withG3844 aG5100 tannerG1038 named SimonG4613.