Acts 9:1-20

JMNT^{(i) 1} Now Saul, still continuously inhaling and breathing (or: in-spiriting and blowing [out]; animated with the spirit of) threatening and murder (or: slaughter) into the midst of the Lord's [= Yahweh's or Christ's] disciples (or: students; learners), after going to the head (chief; ranking) priest, ² requested from him letters [to take] into Damascus – to the synagogues – so that if he should be finding anyone being [a part] of (or: belonging to) the Way (or: the Path; the Road), he could lead [them] – both men and women – bound, into Jerusalem. ³ Now it happened, during [the occasion for] him to be progressively traveling [and] to be nearing Damascus, that with unexpected suddenness a light from out of the midst of the atmosphere (or: sky; heaven) flashed around him as lightning, ⁴ and having fallen upon the ground, he heard a Voice (or: sound) repeatedly saying to him, "Saul... Saul... Why do you continue pursuing and persecuting Me?" ⁵ So he said, "Who are You, Lord (or: Sir; Master)?" Now He replied, "I, Myself, am Jesus... Whom you continue pursuing and persecuting! ⁶ "Nevertheless, at once stand up and then enter into the city. Then it will proceed being spoken to you that which it continues binding and necessary for you to continue doing." ⁷ Now the adult men who were presently accompanying him on the journey had stood speechless and continued standing dumbfounded – while hearing the Voice (or: sound), and yet still, as spectators, gazing at not even one person (or: yet not viewing anyone)! ⁸ But then Saul got up from the ground, and yet with his eyes having been opened up, and continuing open, he was seeing nothing! So they led him on into Damascus, ⁹ and he was three days still not seeing. He also neither ate nor drank. ¹⁰ Now there was a certain disciple (student; apprentice) in Damascus named Ananias, and within a vision the Lord [= Christ] said to him, "Ananias!" So he said, "Look, I [am here], O Lord!" ¹¹ So then the Lord [said] to him, "At once get up and go on your way upon the alley (or: narrow street) being normally called 'Straight,' and look for (seek; try to find) within [the] house of Judah (or: Judas) a person from Tarsus named Saul, for you see, look and consider! – he is presently thinking with a view toward having goodness, ease and well-being (or: continuously praying), ¹² "and within a vision (the effect of something seen) he saw an adult man named Ananias coming in and putting [his] hands upon him so that he can look up, and see again!" ¹³ But Ananias discerningly answered, "O Lord! I hear (or: heard) from many people about this adult man... how many vile and bad (worthless and evil; ugly and malicious) things he did to Your set-apart folks (Your saints) in Jerusalem! ¹⁴ "And here in this place he is presently having (or: holding) authority from the chief (head; ranking) priests to bind all those habitually calling upon Your Name!" ¹⁵ Yet the Lord [= Christ] said to him, "Be presently going (or: Go, and continue on your way), because this one is (or: exists being) a vessel of choice to Me (or: a picked our and chosen instrument for Me) to lift up and carry My Name before (in the sight and presence of) the ethnic multitudes (or: nations; Gentiles; non-Israelites) – as well as [before] kings and [the] sons (= people) of Israel. ¹⁶ "For you see, I Myself will proceed underlining and pointing out (or: plainly showing) to him how many things it continues being binding and necessary for him to experience and be suffering – over [the situation of] (or: for; on behalf of) My Name." ¹⁷ So Ananias went off and entered into the house, and after placing [his] hands upon him, he said, "O Brother Saul! The Lord – Jesus, the One being seen by you on the road in which you were coming – has sent me with a mission so that you can look up and see again, and then you can be filled with [the] set-apart Breath-effect (or: [the] Holy Spirit; a consecrated attitude)!" ¹⁸ And immediately there fell off from his eyes [something] like scales (or: hulls; shells; rinds; incrustations; [Greek lepris; note: lepra is the word: leprosy; lepros is a leper]). And so he looked up and could see again (or: recovered his sight). Next, after standing up, he was immersed (or: baptized). Later on, upon receiving food (or: nourishment), he was inwardly strengthened and invigorated. ¹⁹ Now he came to be (= spent some time) with the disciples in Damascus [for] some (or: certain; [p45 reads: enough]) days, ²⁰ then straightway (at once) began publicly proclaiming Jesus within the synagogues – continuously heralding that this Man is (exists being) God's Son (or: the Son which has the character and qualities of, and whose origin is, God)!