Saul on the Damascus road
9
📚And Saul, still breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 📚and asked him for letters to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way✭, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 📚✭And as he traveled he came near Damascus. And suddenly there shone around him a light from heaven. 4 📚✭And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”5 📚And he said, “Who are you, Lord✭?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads”.
6 📚✭And he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what will you have me to do?” And the Lord said to him, “Arise, and go into the city, and it will be told you what you must do”.
7 📚And the men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no one. 8 📚✭And Saul rose up from the ground. And when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. 9 📚And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank anything.
Saul and Ananias
10 📚✭And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias”. And he said, “Here I am, Lord”.
11 📚✭And the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for a person called Saul of Tarsus. For see, he is praying, 12 📚✭and has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight”.
13 📚Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints✭ at Jerusalem. 14 📚And here he has authority from the chief priests to put in chains everyone who calls on your name”.
15 📚✭But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel for me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. 16 📚For I will show him what great things he must suffer for my name’s sake”.
17 📚✭And Ananias went and entered the house, and, putting his hands on him, said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, that is, Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming, has sent me that you might receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit”. 18 📚And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once, and got up, and was baptized✭. 19 📚And when he had taken food, he was strengthened. Then Saul stayed some days with the disciples who were at Damascus.
Saul preaches the gospel he had once denied
20 📚✭And immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 21 📚But all who heard him were amazed, and said, “Is not this the one who destroyed those who called on this name✭ in Jerusalem, and came here for that same purpose, that he might take them in chains to the chief priests?” 22 📚But Saul increased all the more in power, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
23 📚✭And after many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 📚but their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. 25 📚Then the disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening in the wall in a basket.
26 📚✭And when Saul came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 📚✭But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and told them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 28 📚✭And he was with them in Jerusalem, coming in and going out. 29 📚✭And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 📚✭When the brethren came to know this, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him away to Tarsus.
31 📚✭Then the churches throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit increased in number.
Peter heals Aeneas and raises Dorcas from death
32 📚✭And it came about as Peter passed through all areas of the country, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33 📚And there he saw a certain man named Aeneas who had kept to his bed for eight years and was paralyzed. 34 📚✭And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up, and make your bed”. And immediately he got up. 35 📚✭And all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
36 📚✭Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and deeds of charity which she did. 37 📚And it came to pass in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 📚✭And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, asking him to come to them without delay.
39 📚Then Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood next to him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them.
40 📚✭But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed, and, turning toward the body, said, “Tabitha, arise”. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 📚And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her to them alive. 42 📚✭And this became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 📚✭And it came about that he stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.