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Acts 9 ::
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Acts
9

Saul's Conversion

1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out
murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the
high priest 2and asked him for letters to the
synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged
to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners
to Jerusalem. 3As he neared Damascus on his journey,
suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He
fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why
do you persecute me?"
5"Who are you, Lord?" Saul
asked.
6"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he
replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told
what you must do."
7The men traveling with Saul
stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see
anyone. 8Saul got up from the ground, but when he
opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand
into Damascus. 9For three days he was blind, and did
not eat or drink anything.
10In Damascus there was
a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,
"Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered.
11The Lord
told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for
a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12In a
vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on
him to restore his sight."
13"Lord," Ananias
answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the
harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14And he
has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all
who call on your name."
15But the Lord said to
Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name
before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of
Israel. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for
my name."
17Then Ananias went to the house and
entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the
Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming
here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the
Holy Spirit." 18Immediately, something like scales fell
from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was
baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his
strength.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

20Saul spent several days with the
disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the
synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21All those
who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who
raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And
hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief
priests?" 22Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and
baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the
Christ.[1]

23After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired
to kill him, 24but Saul learned of their plan. Day and
night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill
him. 25But his followers took him by night and lowered
him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

26When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the
disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he
really was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and
brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey
had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in
Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
28So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in
Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
29He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they
tried to kill him. 30When the brothers learned of this,
they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and
Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and
encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the
fear of the Lord.

Aeneas and Dorcas

32As Peter traveled about the country, he
went to visit the saints in Lydda. 33There he found a
man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight
years. 34"Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ
heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas
got up. 35All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw
him and turned to the Lord.
36In Joppa there was a
disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas[2]
), who was always doing good and helping the poor.
37About that time she became sick and died, and her
body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38Lydda
was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in
Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at
once!"
39Peter went with them, and when he arrived
he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around
him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that
Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

40Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got
down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he
said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she
sat up. 41He took her by the hand and helped her to her
feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented
her to them alive. 42This became known all over Joppa,
and many people believed in the Lord. 43Peter stayed in
Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

Footnotes

9:22 Or Messiah

9:36 Both Tabitha (Aramaic) and
Dorcas (Greek) mean gazelle.

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