Act 9 | NASB1995 | STEP | Now Saul , still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord , went to the high priest ,

Acts 9

The Conversion of Saul

1 ^aNow ^{▼▼ Later called Paul}Saul, still ^cbreathing ^{▼▼ Lit threat}threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for ^eletters from him to ^fthe synagogues at ^gDamascus, so that if he found any belonging to ^hthe 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 ⁱsuddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and ^jhe 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 ^kit will be told you what you must do.” 7 The men who traveled with him ^lstood speechless, ^mhearing the ^{▼▼ Or sound}voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and ^othough his eyes were open, he ^{▼▼ Lit was seeing}could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into ^qDamascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple at ^rDamascus named ^sAnanias; and the Lord said to him in ^ta 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 ^uTarsus named Saul, for he is praying, 12 and he has seen ^{▼▼ A few early mss do not contain in a vision}in a vision a man named Ananias come in and ^wlay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, ^xhow much harm he did to ^yYour ^{▼▼ Or holy ones}saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he ^aahas authority from the chief priests to bind all who ^abcall on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for ^ache is a chosen ^{▼▼ Or vessel}instrument of Mine, to bear My name before ^aethe Gentiles and ^afkings and the sons of Israel; 16 for ^agI will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after ^ahlaying his hands on him said, ^ai“Brother 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 ^ajfilled 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; 19 and he took food and was strengthened.

Saul Begins to Preach Christ

Now ^akfor several days he was with ^althe disciples who were at Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus ^amin the synagogues, ^{▼▼ Lit that}saying, “He is ^aothe Son of God.” 21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem ^apdestroyed those who ^aqcalled 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 ^{▼▼ I.e. Messiah}Christ.

23 When ^asmany days had elapsed, ^atthe Jews plotted together to do away with him, 24 but ^autheir plot became known to Saul. ^avThey 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 ^awWhen he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; ^{▼▼ Lit and}but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 But ^ayBarnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had ^azseen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how ^baat Damascus he had ^bbspoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 And he was with them, ^{▼▼ Lit going in and going out}moving about freely in Jerusalem, ^bdspeaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he was talking and arguing with the ^{▼▼ Jews who adopted the Gr language and much of Gr culture through acculturation
,} ^bfHellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. 30 But when ^bgthe brethren learned of it, they brought him down to ^bhCaesarea and ^bisent him away to ^bjTarsus.

31 So ^bkthe church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria ^{▼▼ Lit was having}enjoyed 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 ^bmthe ^{▼▼ Or holy ones}saints who lived at ^{▼▼ OT: Lod
,} ^bpLydda. 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 ^{▼▼ OT: Lod
,} ^brLydda and ^bsSharon saw him, and they ^btturned to the Lord.

36 Now in ^buJoppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called ^{▼▼ I.e. Gazelle}Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. 37 And it happened ^{▼▼ Lit in those days}at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an ^bxupper room. 38 Since Lydda was near ^byJoppa, ^bzthe 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 ^caupper room; and all the ^cbwidows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the ^{▼▼ Or inner garments}tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. 40 But Peter ^cdsent them all out and ^ceknelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, ^cf“Tabitha, 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 ^cgthe ^{▼▼ Or holy ones}saints and ^ciwidows, he presented her alive. 42 It became known all over ^cjJoppa, and ^ckmany believed in the Lord. 43 And Peter stayed many days in ^clJoppa with ^cma tanner named Simon.