Acts 9

The Conversion of Saul

11NowG1161 2SaulG4569, stillG2089 3breathingG1709 4threatsG547 and murderG5408 againstG1519 the disciplesG3101 of the LordG2962, wentG4334 to the highG749 priestG749, 2and askedG154 for 5lettersG1992 from him to 6the synagoguesG4864 at 7DamascusG1154, soG3704 that ifG1437 he foundG2147 anyG5100 belongingG1510 to 8the WayG3598, bothG5037 menG435 and womenG1135, he might bringG71 them boundG1210 to JerusalemG2419. 3As he was travelingG4198, it happenedG1096 that he was approachingG1448 DamascusG1154, and 9suddenlyG1810 a lightG5457 from heavenG3772 flashedG4015 aroundG4015 him; 4and 10he fellG4098 to the groundG1093 and heardG191 a voiceG5456 sayingG3004 to him, “SaulG4549, SaulG4549, whyG5101 are you persecutingG1377 Me?” 5And he saidG3004, “WhoG5101 are You, LordG2962?” And He said, “I amG1510 JesusG2424 whomG3739 you are persecutingG1377, 6but getG450 up and enterG1525 the cityG4172, and 11it will be toldG2980 you whatG3739G5101 you mustG1163 doG4160.” 7The menG435 who traveledG4922 with him 12stoodG2476 speechlessG1753, 13hearingG191 the 14voiceG5456 but seeingG2334 noG3367 oneG3367. 8SaulG4569 gotG1453 up from the groundG1093, and 15though his eyesG3788 were openG455, he 16could seeG991 nothingG3762; and leadingG5496 him by the handG5496, they broughtG1521 him into 17DamascusG1154. 9And he was threeG5140 daysG2250 withoutG3361 sightG991, and neitherG3756 ateG2068 norG3761 drankG4095.

10NowG1161 there was a discipleG3101 at 18DamascusG1154 namedG3686 19AnaniasG367; and the LordG2962 saidG3004 to him in 20a visionG3705, “AnaniasG367.” And he saidG3004, “HereG2400 I am, LordG2962.” 11And the LordG2962 said to him, “GetG450 up and goG4198 to the streetG4505 calledG2564 StraightG2117, and inquireG2212 at the houseG3614 of JudasG2455 for a man from 21TarsusG5018 namedG3686 SaulG4569, for he is prayingG4336, 12and he has seenG3708 22in a visionG3705 a manG435 namedG3686 AnaniasG367 comeG1525 in and 23layG2007 his handsG5495 on him, soG3704 that he might regainG308 his sightG308.” 13But AnaniasG367 answeredG611, “LordG2962, I have heardG191 from manyG4183 aboutG4012 thisG3778 manG435, 24howG3745 muchG3745 harmG2556 he didG4160 to 25Your 26saintsG40 at JerusalemG2419; 14and hereG5602 he 27hasG2192 authorityG1849 from the chiefG749 priestsG749 to bindG1210 allG3956 who 28callG1941 on Your nameG3686.” 15But the LordG2962 saidG3004 to him, “GoG4198, for 29he is a chosenG1589 30instrumentG4632 of MineG1473, to bearG941 My nameG3686 beforeG1799 31the GentilesG1484 and 32kingsG935 and the sonsG5207 of IsraelG2274; 16for 33I will showG5263 him howG3745 muchG3745 he mustG1163 sufferG3958 for My name’sG3686 sakeG5228.” 17SoG3704 AnaniasG367 departedG565 and enteredG1525 the houseG3614, and after 34layingG2007 his handsG5495 on him saidG3004, “35BrotherG80 SaulG4549, the LordG2962 JesusG2424, who appearedG3708 to you on the roadG3598 by whichG3739 you were comingG2064, has sentG649 me soG3704 that you may regainG308 your sightG308 and be 36filledG4092 with the HolyG40 SpiritG4151.” 18And immediatelyG2112 there fellG634 from his eyesG3788 something likeG5613 scalesG3013, and he regainedG308 his sightG308, and he gotG450 up and was baptizedG907;

Saul Begins to Preach Christ

19and he tookG2983 foodG5160 and was strengthenedG1765.

NowG1161 37for severalG5100 daysG2250 he was with 38the disciplesG3101 who were at DamascusG1154, 20and immediatelyG2112 he began to proclaimG2784 JesusG2424 39in the synagoguesG4864, 40sayingG3754, “He is 41the SonG5207 of GodG2316.” 21AllG3956 thoseG3588 hearingG191 him continued to be amazedG1839, and were sayingG3004, “Is thisG3778 not he who in JerusalemG2419 42destroyedG4199 thoseG3588 who 43calledG1941 on thisG3778 nameG3686, and who had comeG2064 hereG5602 for the purpose of bringingG71 them boundG1210 beforeG1909 the chiefG749 priestsG749?” 22But SaulG4569 kept increasingG1743 in strengthG1743 and confoundingG4797 the JewsG2453 who livedG2730 at DamascusG1154 by provingG4822 that thisG3778 Jesus is the 44ChristG5547.

23WhenG5613 45manyG2425 daysG2250 had elapsedG4137, 46the JewsG2453 plottedG4823 togetherG4823 to doG337 awayG337 with him, 24but 47their plotG1917 became knownG1097 to SaulG4569. 48They were alsoG2532 watchingG3906 the gatesG4439 dayG2250 and nightG3571 soG3704 that they might putG337 him to deathG337; 25but his disciplesG3101 tookG2983 him by nightG3571 and letG2524 him downG2524 throughG1223 an opening in the wallG5038, loweringG2524G5465 him in a largeG4711 basketG4711.

2649When he cameG3854 to JerusalemG2419, he was tryingG3985 to associateG2853 with the disciplesG3101; 50but they were allG3956 afraidG5399 of him, not believingG4100 that he was a discipleG3101. 27But 51BarnabasG921 tookG1949 holdG1949 of him and broughtG71 him to the apostlesG652 and describedG1334 to them howG4459 he had 52seenG3708 the LordG2962 on the roadG3598, and that He had talkedG2980 to him, and howG4459 53at DamascusG1154 he had 54spokenG3955 out boldlyG3955 in the nameG3686 of JesusG2424. 28And he was with them, 55movingG1531G2532G1607 aboutG1531G2532G1607 freelyG1531G2532G1607 in JerusalemG2419, 56speakingG3955 out boldlyG3955 in the nameG3686 of the LordG2962. 29And he was talkingG2980 and arguingG4802 with the 5758HellenisticG1675 Jews; but they were attemptingG2021 to putG337 him to deathG337. 30But when 59the brethrenG80 learnedG1921 of it, they broughtG2609 him downG2609 to 60CaesareaG2542 and 61sentG1821 him awayG1821 to 62TarsusG5019.

31SoG3767 63the churchG1577 throughoutG2596 allG3650 JudeaG2453 and GalileeG1056 and SamariaG4540 64enjoyedG2192 peaceG1515, being builtG3618 up; and goingG4198 on in the fearG5401 of the LordG2962 and in the comfortG3874 of the HolyG40 SpiritG4151, it continued to increaseG4129.

Peter’s Ministry

32NowG1161 as PeterG4074 was travelingG1330 throughG1330 allG3956 those regions, he cameG2718 downG2718 alsoG2532 to 65the 66saintsG40 who livedG2730 at 6768LyddaG3069. 33ThereG1563 he foundG2147 a manG444 namedG3686 AeneasG132, who had been bedriddenG2621G1909G2895 eightG3638 yearsG2094, for he was paralyzedG3886. 34PeterG4074 saidG3004 to him, “AeneasG132, JesusG2424 ChristG5547 healsG2390 you; getG450 up and makeG4766 your bedG4766.” ImmediatelyG2112 he gotG450 up. 35And allG3956 who livedG2730 at 6970LyddaG3069 and 71SharonG4565 sawG3708 him, and they 72turnedG1994 to the LordG2962.

36NowG1161 in 73JoppaG2445 there was a discipleG3102 namedG3686 TabithaG5000 (whichG3739 translatedG1329 in Greek is calledG3004 74DorcasG1393); thisG3778 womanG3778 was aboundingG4134 with deedsG2041 of kindnessG18 and charityG1654 whichG3739 she continually didG4160. 37And it happenedG1096 75at that timeG2250 that she fellG770 sickG770 and diedG599; and when they had washedG3068 her body, they laidG5087 it in an 76upperG5253 roomG5253. 38Since LyddaG3069 was nearG1451 77JoppaG2445, 78the disciplesG3101, having heardG191 that PeterG4074 was thereG1722G846, sentG649 twoG1417 menG435 to him, imploringG3870 him, “Do not delayG3635 in comingG1330 to us.” 39SoG1161 PeterG4074 aroseG450 and wentG4905 with them. WhenG3854 he arrivedG3854, they broughtG321 him into the 79upperG5253 roomG5253; and allG3956 the 80widowsG5503 stoodG3936 besideG3936 him, weepingG2799 and showingG1925 allG3745 the 81tunicsG5509 and garmentsG2440 that DorcasG1393 used to makeG4160 whileG3745 she was with them. 40But PeterG4074 82sentG1544 them allG3956 out and 83kneltG1119G5087 downG5087G1119 and prayedG4336, and turningG1994 to the bodyG4983, he saidG3004, “84TabithaG5000, ariseG450.” And she openedG455 her eyesG3788, and when she sawG3708 PeterG4074, she satG339 up. 41And he gaveG1325 her his handG5495 and raisedG450 her up; and callingG5455 85the 86saintsG40 and 87widowsG5503, he presentedG3936 her aliveG2198. 42It becameG1096 knownG1110 allG3650 overG2596 88JoppaG2445, and 89manyG4183 believedG4100 in the LordG2962. 43And Peter stayedG3306 manyG2425 daysG2250 in 90JoppaG2445 with 91a tannerG1038 named SimonG4613.