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 in 7DamascusG1154, soG3704 thatG3704 ifG1437 he foundG2147 anyG5100 belongingG1510 to 89the WayG3598, whetherG5037 menG435 orG2532 womenG1135, he might bringG71 them in shacklesG1210 to JerusalemG2419. 3NowG1161 as he was travelingG4198, it happenedG1096 that he was approachingG1448 DamascusG1154, and 10suddenlyG1810 a lightG5457 from heavenG3772 flashedG4015 aroundG4015 him; 4and 11he 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 upG450 and enterG1525 the cityG4172, and 12it will be toldG2980 to you whatG3739G5101 you mustG1163 doG4160.” 7The menG435 who traveledG4922 with him 13stoodG2476 speechlessG1753, 14hearingG191 the 15voiceG5456 but seeingG2334 noG3367 oneG3367. 8SaulG4569 gotG1453 upG1453 from the groundG1093, and 16though his eyesG3788 were openG455, he 17could seeG991 nothingG3762; and leadingG5496 him byG5496 theG5496 handG5496, they broughtG1521 him into 18DamascusG1154. 9And for threeG5140 daysG2250 he was withoutG3361 sightG991, and neitherG3756 ateG2068 norG3761 drankG4095.

10NowG1161 there was a discipleG3101 in 19DamascusG1154 namedG3686 20AnaniasG367; and the LordG2962 saidG3004 to him in 21a visionG3705, “AnaniasG367.” And he saidG3004, “HereG2400 I am, LordG2962.” 11And the LordG2962 said to him, “GetG450 upG450 and goG4198 to the streetG4505 calledG2564 StraightG2117, and inquireG2212 at the houseG3614 of JudasG2455 for a manG5018 fromG5018 22TarsusG5018 namedG3686 SaulG4569, for he is prayingG4336, 12and he has seenG3708 23in a visionG3705 a manG435 namedG3686 AnaniasG367 comeG1525 inG1525 and 24layG2007 his handsG5495 onG2007 him, soG3704 thatG3704 he might regainG308 his sightG308.” 13But AnaniasG367 answeredG611, “LordG2962, I have heardG191 from manyG4183 peopleG4183 aboutG4012 thisG3778 manG435, 25howG3745 muchG3745 harmG2556 he didG4160 to 26Your 27saintsG40 in JerusalemG2419; 14and hereG5602 he 28hasG2192 authorityG1849 from the chiefG749 priestsG749 to 29arrestG1210 allG3956 who 30callG1941 onG1941 Your nameG3686.” 15But the LordG2962 saidG3004 to him, “GoG4198, for 31he is a chosenG1589 32instrumentG4632 of MineG1473, to bearG941 My nameG3686 beforeG1799 33the GentilesG1484 and 34kingsG935 and the sonsG5207 of IsraelG2474; 16for 35I will showG5263 him howG3745 muchG3745 he mustG1163 sufferG3958 inG5228 behalfG5228 of My nameG3686.” 17SoG3704 AnaniasG367 departedG565 and enteredG1525 the houseG3614, and after 36layingG2007 his handsG5495 on him saidG3004, “37BrotherG80 SaulG4549, the LordG2962 JesusG2424, who appearedG3708 to you on the roadG3598 by whichG3739 you were comingG2064, has sentG649 me soG3704 thatG3704 you may regainG308 your sightG308 and be 38filledG4092 with the HolyG40 SpiritG4151.” 18And immediatelyG2112 something likeG5613 fish scalesG3013 fellG634 from his eyesG3788, and he regainedG308 his sightG308, and he gotG450 upG450 and was baptizedG907;

Saul Begins to Preach Christ

19and he tookG2983 foodG5160 and was strengthenedG1765.

NowG1161 39for severalG5100 daysG2250 he was with 40the disciplesG3101 who were in DamascusG1154, 20and immediatelyG2112 he began to proclaimG2784 JesusG2424 41in the synagoguesG4864, 42sayingG3754, “He is 43the SonG5207 of GodG2316.” 21AllG3956 thoseG3588 hearingG191 him continued to be amazedG1839, and were sayingG3004, “Is thisG3778 not the one who in JerusalemG2419 44destroyedG4199 thoseG3588 who 45calledG1941 onG1941 thisG3778 nameG3686, and had comeG2064 hereG5602 for the purposeG2443 of bringingG71 them boundG1210 beforeG1909 the chiefG749 priestsG749?” 22But SaulG4569 kept increasingG1743G3123 inG1743 strengthG1743 and confoundingG4797 JewsG2453 who livedG2730 in DamascusG1154 by provingG4822 that thisG3778 Jesus is the 46ChristG5547.

23WhenG5613 47manyG2425 daysG2250 had elapsedG4137, 48the JewsG2453 plottedG4823 togetherG4823 to doG337 awayG337 with him, 24but 49their plotG1917 became knownG1097 to SaulG4569. 50They were alsoG2532 closelyG3906 watchingG3906 the gatesG4439 dayG2250 and nightG3571 soG3704 thatG3704 they might putG337 him to deathG337; 25but his disciplesG3101 tookG2983 him at nightG3571 and letG2524 him downG2524 throughG1223 an opening in the wallG5038, loweringG2524G5465 him in a largeG4711 basketG4711.

2651When he cameG3854 to JerusalemG2419, he triedG3985 repeatedly to associateG2853 with the disciplesG3101; and yet they wereG5399 allG3956 afraidG5399 of him, as they did not believeG4100 that he was a discipleG3101. 27But 52BarnabasG921 tookG1949 holdG1949 of him and broughtG71 him to the apostlesG652 and describedG1334 to them howG4459 he had 53seenG3708 the LordG2962 on the roadG3598, and that He had talkedG2980 to him, and howG4459 54he had 55spokenG3955 outG3955 boldlyG3955 in the nameG3686 of JesusG2424 at DamascusG1154. 28And he was with them, 56movingG1531G2532G1607 aboutG1531G2532G1607 freelyG1531G2532G1607 in JerusalemG2419, 57speakingG3955 outG3955 boldlyG3955 in the nameG3686 of the LordG2962. 29And he was talkingG2980 and arguingG4802 with the 5859HellenisticG1675 Jews; but they were attemptingG2021 to putG337 him toG337 deathG337. 30NowG1161 when 60the 61brothersG80 learnedG1921 of it, they broughtG2609 him downG2609 to 62CaesareaG2542 and 63sentG1821 him awayG1821 to 64TarsusG5019.

31SoG3767 65the churchG1577 throughoutG2596G3650 JudeaG2449, GalileeG1056, and SamariaG4540 66enjoyedG2192 peaceG1515, as it was being builtG3618 up; and as it 67continuedG4198 in the fearG5401 of the LordG2962 and in the comfortG3874 of the HolyG40 SpiritG4151, it kept increasingG4129.

Peter’s Ministry

32NowG1161 as PeterG4074 was travelingG1330 throughG1330 allG3956 those regions, he alsoG2532 cameG2718 downG2718 to 68the 69saintsG40 who livedG2730 at 7071LyddaG3069. 33ThereG1563 he foundG2147 a manG444 namedG3686 AeneasG132 who had been bedriddenG2621G1909G2895 for eightG3638 yearsG2094, 72becauseG3739 he was paralyzedG3886. 34PeterG4074 saidG3004 to him, “AeneasG132, JesusG2424 ChristG5547 healsG2390 you; getG450 upG450 and makeG4766 your own bedG4766.” ImmediatelyG2112 he gotG450 upG450. 35And allG3956 who livedG2730 at 7374LyddaG3069 and 75SharonG4565 sawG3708 him, and they 76turnedG1994 to the LordG2962.

36NowG1161 in 77JoppaG2445 there was a discipleG3102 namedG3686 TabithaG5000 (whichG3739 when translatedG1329 meansG3004 78DorcasG1393); thisG3778 womanG3778 was 79excellingG4134 in actsG2041 of kindnessG18 and charityG1654 whichG3739 she didG4160 habitually. 37But it happenedG1096 80at that timeG2250 that she becameG770 sickG770 and diedG599; and when they had washedG3068 her body, they laidG5087 it in an 81upstairsG5253 roomG5253. 38Since LyddaG3069 was nearG1451 82JoppaG2445, 83the disciplesG3101, having heardG191 that PeterG4074 was thereG1722G846, sentG649 twoG1417 menG435 to him, urgingG3870 him, “Do not delayG3635 in comingG1330 to us.” 39SoG1161 PeterG4074 gotG450 readyG450 and wentG4905 with them. When he arrivedG3854, they broughtG321 him into the 84roomG5253 upstairsG5253; and allG3956 the 85widowsG5503 stoodG3936 besideG3936 him, weepingG2799 and showingG1925 allG3745 the 86tunicsG5509 and garmentsG2440 thatG3745 DorcasG1393 used to makeG4160 while she was with them. 40But PeterG4074 87sentG1544 them allG3956 outG1544 and 88kneltG1119G5087 downG5087G1119 and prayedG4336, and turningG1994 to the bodyG4983, he saidG3004, “89TabithaG5000, ariseG450.” And she openedG455 her eyesG3788, and when she sawG3708 PeterG4074, she satG339 upG339. 41And he gaveG1325 her his handG5495 and raisedG450 her up; and callingG5455 90the 91saintsG40 and 92widowsG5503, he presentedG3936 her aliveG2198. 42It becameG1096 knownG1110 allG3650 overG2596 93JoppaG2445, and 94manyG4183 believedG4100 in the LordG2962. 43And Peter stayedG3306 in 95JoppaG2445 manyG2425 daysG2250 with 96a tannerG1038 named SimonG4613.