Acts 9

¹Meanwhile Saul, still exhaling threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ²and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus. His purpose was that if he found any who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

³As he was traveling, it happened that he was drawing near to Damascus when suddenly a light from the heavens flashed around him. ⁴Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saoul, Saoul, why are you persecuting me?” ⁵He said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you must do.” ⁷The men traveling with him stood speechless; they heard the sound of the voice but saw no one. ⁸Saul got up from the ground, but though his eyes were wide open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. ⁹For three days he was without sight, and he neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” He said, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’ and at the house of Judas look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For behold, he is praying, ¹²and he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay hands on him so that he might recover his sight.” ¹³But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And here he has authority from the high priests to imprison everyone who calls upon your name.” ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the nations and kings, and the sons of Israel. ¹⁶For I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

¹⁷So Ananias departed and entered the house. He laid his hands on him and said, “Saoul, brother, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you came—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸Immediately, something like scales fell from his eyes and he recovered his sight. He got up and was baptized, ¹⁹and after taking food, he regained his strength. He stayed for several days with the disciples in Damascus, ²⁰and immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “This man is the Son of God.” ²¹All who heard him were astonished and said, “Is this not the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who call upon this name? And hasn't he come here for this very purpose, to bring them as prisoners before the high priests?” ²²But Saul grew all the more capable and confounded the Jews living in Damascus by demonstrating that this man is the Messiah.

²³When a considerable number of days had passed, the Jews plotted together to kill him, ²⁴but their plot became known to Saul. They were even watching the gates day and night in order to do away with him, ²⁵but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

²⁶When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. ²⁷But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles. He described to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. ²⁸So Saul moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹He was speaking and debating with the Hellenists, but they were attempting to kill him. ³⁰When the brothers found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

³¹So the assembly throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace and was being built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase in numbers.

³²Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. ³³There he found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years; he was paralyzed. ³⁴Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Messiah heals you. Get up and make your own bed.” And immediately he stood up. ³⁵Everyone living in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

³⁶In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated is Dorcas, or “Gazelle”). She was full of good works and acts of charity which she did continually. ³⁷In those days she became ill and died; after they washed her body, they laid her in an upstairs room. ³⁸Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the plea, “Please do not delay in coming to us.” ³⁹Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the upstairs room. All the widows stood beside him weeping, showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. ⁴⁰Peter sent them all outside, 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. ⁴¹Giving her his hand, he helped her up. Then, calling the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive. ⁴²This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³And Peter stayed in Joppa for a considerable time with a certain Simon, a tanner.