The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Meanwhile, Sha'ul, still breathing murderous threats against the Lord's talmidim, went to the cohen hagadol
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But Saul, still burning with desire to put to death the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Dammesek, authorizing him to arrest any people he might find, whether men or women, who belonged to "the Way," and bring them back to Yerushalayim.
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And made a request for letters from him to the Synagogues of Damascus, so that if there were any of the Way there, men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3 He was on the road and nearing Dammesek, when suddenly a light from heaven flashed all around him.
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And while he was journeying, he came near Damascus; and suddenly he saw a light from heaven shining round him;
4 Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Sha'ul! Sha'ul! Why do you keep persecuting me?"
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And he went down on the earth, and a voice said to him, Saul, Saul, why are you attacking me so cruelly?
5 "Sir, who are you?" he asked. "I am Yeshua, and you are persecuting me.
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And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are attacking:
6 But get up, and go into the city, and you will be told what you have to do."
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But get up, and go into the town, and it will be made clear to you what you have to do.
7 The men traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
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And the men who were with him were not able to say anything; hearing the voice, but seeing no one.
8 They helped Sha'ul get up off the ground; but when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing. So, leading him by the hand, they brought him into Dammesek.
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And Saul got up from the earth, and when his eyes were open, he saw nothing; and he was guided by the hand into Damascus.
9 For three days he remained unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.
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And for three days he was not able to see, and he took no food or drink.
10 There was a talmid in Dammesek, Hananyah by name; and in a vision the Lord said to him, "Hananyah!" He said, "Here I am, Lord."
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Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias! and he said, Here I am, Lord.
11 The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to Straight Street, to Y'hudah's house; and ask for a man from Tarsus named Sha'ul; for he is praying,
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And the Lord said to him, Get up, and go to the street which is named Straight, and make search at the house of Judas for one named Saul of Tarsus: for he is at prayer;
12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Hananyah coming in and placing his hands on him to restore his sight."
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And he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hands on him, so that he may be able to see.
13 But Hananyah answered, "Lord, many have told me about this man, how much harm he has done to your people in Yerushalayim;
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But Ananias said, Lord, I have had accounts of this man from a number of people, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem:
14 and here he has a warrant from the head cohanim to arrest everyone who calls on your name."
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And here he has authority from the chief priests to make prisoners all who give worship to your name.
15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, because this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name to the Goyim, even to their kings, and to the sons of Isra'el as well.
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But the Lord said, Go without fear: for he is a special vessel for me, to give to the Gentiles and kings and to the children of Israel the knowledge of my name:
16 For I myself will show him how much he will have to suffer on account of my name."
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For I will make clear to him what troubles he will have to undergo for me.
17 So Hananyah left and went into the house. Placing his hands on him, he said, "Brother Sha'ul, the Lord - Yeshua, the one 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 Ruach HaKodesh."
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And Ananias went out and came to the house, and putting his hands on him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, whom you saw when you were on your journey, has sent me, so that you may be able to see, and be full of the Holy Spirit.
18 In that moment, something like scales fell away from Sha'ul's eyes; and he could see again. He got up and was immersed;
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And straight away it seemed as if a veil was taken from his eyes, and he was able to see; and he got up, and had baptism;
19 then he ate some food and regained his strength. Sha'ul spent some days with the talmidim in Dammesek,
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And when he had taken food his strength came back. And for some days he kept with the disciples who were in Damascus.
20 and immediately he began proclaiming in the synagogues that Yeshua is the Son of God.
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And straight away, in the Synagogues, he was preaching Jesus as the Son of God.
21 All who heard him were amazed. They asked, "Isn't he the man who in Yerushalayim was trying to destroy the people who call on this name? In fact, isn't that why he came here, to arrest them and bring them back to the head cohanim?"
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And all those hearing him were full of wonder and said, Is not this the man who in Jerusalem was attacking all the worshippers of this name? and he had come here so that he might take them as prisoners before the chief priests.
22 But Sha'ul was being filled with more and more power and was creating an uproar among the Jews living in Dammesek with his proofs that Yeshua is the Messiah.
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But Saul went on increasing in power, and the Jews in Damascus were not able to give answers to the arguments by which he made it clear that Jesus was the Christ.
23 Quite some time later, the non-believing Jews gathered together and made plans to kill him;
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Then, after some days, the Jews made an agreement together to put him to death:
24 but their plot became known to Sha'ul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to do away with him;
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But Saul got knowledge of their design. And they kept watch day and night on the roads out of the town, so that they might put him to death:
25 but under cover of night, his talmidim took him and let him down over the city wall, lowering him in a large basket.
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But his disciples took him by night and let him down from the wall in a basket.
26 On reaching Yerushalayim, he tried to join the talmidim; but they were all afraid of him - they didn't believe he was a talmid.
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And when he came to Jerusalem, he made an attempt to be joined to the disciples, but they were all in fear of him, not taking him for a disciple.
27 However, Bar-Nabba got hold of him and took him to the emissaries. He told them how Sha'ul had seen the Lord while traveling, that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Dammesek Sha'ul had spoken out boldly in the name of Yeshua.
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But Barnabas took him to the Apostles and gave them an account of how he had seen the Lord on the road, and had given hearing to his words, and how at Damascus he had been preaching in the name of Jesus without fear.
28 So he remained with them and went all over Yerushalayim continuing to speak out boldly in the name of the Lord.
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And he was with them, going in and out at Jerusalem,
29 He talked and debated with the Greek-speaking Jews, but they began making attempts to kill him.
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Preaching in the name of the Lord without fear; and he had discussions with the Greek Jews; but they were working for his death.
30 When the brothers learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
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And when the brothers had knowledge of it, they took him to Caesarea and sent him to Tarsus.
31 Then the Messianic community throughout Y'hudah, the Galil and Shomron enjoyed peace and was built up. They lived in the fear of the Lord, with the counsel of the Ruach HaKodesh; and their numbers kept multiplying.
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And so the church through all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was made strong; and, living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, was increased greatly.
32 As Kefa traveled around the countryside, he came down to the believers in Lud.
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And it came about that while Peter was going through all parts of the country he came to the saints who were living at Lydda.
33 There he found a man named Aeneas who had lain bedridden for eight years, because he was paralyzed.
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And there was a certain man there, named Aeneas, who for eight years had been in bed, without power of moving.
34 Kefa said to him, "Aeneas! Yeshua the Messiah is healing you! Get up, and make your bed!"
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And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ makes you well: get up and make your bed. And straight away he got up.
35 Everyone living in Lud and the Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Now in Yafo there was a talmidah named Tavita
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And all those living in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and were turned to the Lord.
36 (which means "gazelle"); she was always doing tzedakah and other good deeds.
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Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, that is, Dorcas: this woman was given to good works and acts of mercy at all times.
37 It happened that just at that time, she took sick and died. After washing her, they laid her in a room upstairs.
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And it came about, in those days, that she got ill and came to her death: and when she had been washed, they put her in a room which was high up.
38 Lud is near Yafo, and the talmidim had heard that Kefa was there, so they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come to us without delay."
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And because Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having knowledge that Peter was there, sent two men to him, requesting him to come to them straight away.
39 Kefa got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him into the upstairs room. All the widows stood by him, sobbing and showing all the dresses and coats Tavita had made them while she was still with them.
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And Peter went with them. And when he had come, they took him into the room: and all the widows were there, weeping and putting before him the coats and clothing which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
40 But Kefa put them all outside, kneeled down and prayed. Then, turning to the body, he said, "Tavita! Get up!" She opened her eyes; and on seeing Kefa, she sat up.
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But Peter made them all go outside, and went down on his knees in prayer; and turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, get up. And, opening her eyes, she saw Peter and got up.
41 He offered her his hand and helped her to her feet; then, calling the believers and the widows, he presented her to them alive.
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And he took her hand, lifting her up; and, sending for the saints and widows, he gave her to them, living.
42 This became known all over Yafo, and many people put their trust in the Lord.
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And news of it went all through Joppa, and a number of people had faith in the Lord.
43 Kefa stayed on in Yafo for some time with a man named Shim'on, a leather-tanner.
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And he was living in Joppa for some time with Simon, a leather-worker.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.