Acts 9

RKJNT^{(i) 1} And Saul, still breathing out threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, ² And asked him for letters to the synagogues in 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 flashed around him a light from heaven: ⁴ And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? ⁵ And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶ Arise, and go into the city, and you shall be told what you must do. ⁷ And the men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no one. ⁸ And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing: so they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. ¹⁰ And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he is praying, ¹² And has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hands on him, that he might regain 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 he is here and has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon your name. ¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, Go: for he is a chosen instrument of mine, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the sons of Israel: ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake. ¹⁷ And Ananias went his way, and entered the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me, that you might regain 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, and arose, and was baptized. ¹⁹ And when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul was for some days with the disciples who were at Damascus. ²⁰ And immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues, saying that he is the Son of God. ²¹ But all who heard him were amazed, and said; Is this not the one who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and did he not come here that he might bring them bound to the chief priests? ²² But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, by proving that Jesus is the Christ. ²³ And after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him: ²⁴ But their plot was made known to Saul. They watched the gates day and night to kill him. ²⁵ Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down in a basket through an opening in the wall. ²⁶ And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to 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 declared to 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, freely coming and going in Jerusalem. ²⁹ And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed with the Hellenistic Jews: but they attempted to kill him. ³⁰ When the brethren learned of this, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. ³¹ Then the church had rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and was being built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers. ³² And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all those parts, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. ³³ And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was a paralytic. ³⁴ And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you: arise, and make your bed. And he arose immediately. ³⁵ And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and turned to the Lord. ³⁶ Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which translated is Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and acts of charity. ³⁷ And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. ³⁸ And since Lydda was near to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent to him two men, urging him to come to them and not delay. ³⁹ Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room: and all the widows stood by 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 to 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 alive. ⁴² And it became known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³ And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon, a tanner.