Acts 9 (New American Standard)

The Conversion of Saul

1 ¹Now ^aSaul, still ²breathing ^bthreats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for ³letters from him to ⁴the synagogues at ⁵Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to ⁶the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and ⁷suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and ⁸he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord ?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and ⁹it will be told you what you must do." 7 The men who traveled with him ¹⁰stood speechless, ¹¹hearing the ^cvoice but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and ¹²though his eyes were open, he ^dcould see nothing ; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into ¹³Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple at ¹⁴Damascus named ¹⁵Ananias ; and the Lord said to him in ¹⁶a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." 11 And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from ¹⁷Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, 12 and he has seen ^ein a vision a man named Ananias come in and ¹⁸lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight." 13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, ¹⁹how much harm he did to ²⁰Your ^fsaints at Jerusalem ; 14 and here he ²¹has authority from the chief priests to bind all who ²²call on Your name." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for ²³he is a chosen ^ginstrument of Mine, to bear My name before ²⁴the Gentiles and ²⁵kings and the sons of Israel ; 16 for ²⁶I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after ²⁷laying his hands on him said, "²⁸Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be ²⁹filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized ;

Saul Begins to Preach Christ

19 and he took food and was strengthened.Now ³⁰ for several days he was with ³¹ the disciples who were at Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus ³²in the synagogues, ^hsaying, "He is ³³the Son of God." 21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, "Is this not he who in Jerusalem ³⁴destroyed those who ³⁵called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests ?" 22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the ⁱChrist. 23 When ³⁶many days had elapsed, ³⁷the Jews plotted together to do away with him, 24 but ³⁸their plot became known to Saul. ³⁹They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death ; 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket. 26 ⁴⁰When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples ; ^jbut they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 But ⁴¹Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had ⁴²seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how ⁴³at Damascus he had ⁴⁴spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 And he was with them, ^kmoving about freely in Jerusalem, ⁴⁵speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he was talking and arguing with the ^l46Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. 30 But when ⁴⁷the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to ⁴⁸Caesarea and ⁴⁹sent him away to ⁵⁰Tarsus. 31 So ⁵¹the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria ^menjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.

Peter's Ministry

32 Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to ⁵²the ⁿsaints who lived at ^o53Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. 34 Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed." Immediately he got up. 35 And all who lived at ^p54Lydda and ⁵⁵Sharon saw him, and they ⁵⁶turned to the Lord. 36 Now in ⁵⁷Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called ^qDorcas ); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. 37 And it happened ^rat that time that she fell sick and died ; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an ⁵⁸upper room. 38 Since Lydda was near ⁵⁹Joppa, ⁶⁰the disciples, having heard that Peter was there , sent two men to him, imploring him, "Do not delay in coming to us." 39 So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the ⁶¹upper room ; and all the ⁶²widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the ^stunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. 40 But Peter ⁶³sent them all out and ⁶⁴knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, "⁶⁵Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling ⁶⁶the ^tsaints and ⁶⁷widows, he presented her alive. 42 It became known all over ⁶⁸Joppa, and ⁶⁹many believed in the Lord. 43 And Peter stayed many days in ⁷⁰Joppa with ⁷¹a tanner named Simon.