Act 9 | NASB2020 | 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 in ^gDamascus, so that if he found any belonging to ^{▼▼See John 14:6
,} ⁱthe Way, whether men or women, he might bring them in shackles to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and ^jsuddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and ^khe 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 ^lit will be told to you what you must do.” 7 The men who traveled with him ^mstood speechless, ⁿhearing the ^{▼▼Or sound}voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and ^pthough his eyes were open, he ^{▼▼Lit was seeing}could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into ^rDamascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple in ^sDamascus named ^tAnanias; and the Lord said to him in ^ua 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 ^vTarsus 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 ^xlay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, ^yhow much harm he did to ^zYour ^{▼▼Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people}saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he ^abhas authority from the chief priests to ^{▼▼Lit bind}arrest all who ^adcall on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for ^aehe is a chosen ^{▼▼Or vessel}instrument of Mine, to bear My name before ^agthe Gentiles and ^ahkings and the sons of Israel; 16 for ^aiI will show him how much he must suffer in behalf of My name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after ^ajlaying his hands on him said, “ ^akBrother 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 ^alfilled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like fish scales fell from his eyes, 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 ^amfor several days he was with ^anthe disciples who were in Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus ^aoin the synagogues, ^{▼▼Lit that}saying, “He is ^aqthe Son of God.” 21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem ^ardestroyed those who ^ascalled on this name, and had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the ^{▼▼I.e., Messiah}Christ.

23 When ^aumany days had elapsed, ^avthe Jews plotted together to do away with him, 24 but ^awtheir plot became known to Saul. ^axThey were also closely watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

26 ^ayWhen he came to Jerusalem, he tried repeatedly to associate with the disciples; and yet they were all afraid of him, as they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But ^azBarnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had ^baseen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how ^bbhe had ^bcspoken out boldly in the name of Jesus at Damascus. 28 And he was with them, ^{▼▼Lit going in and going out}moving about freely in Jerusalem, ^bespeaking 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
,} ^bgHellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. 30 Now when ^bhthe ^{▼▼I.e., disciples}brothers learned of it, they brought him down to ^bjCaesarea and ^bksent him away to ^blTarsus.

31 So ^bmthe church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria ^{▼▼Lit was having}enjoyed peace, as it was being built up; and as it ^{▼▼Lit went}continued in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it kept increasing.

Peter’s Ministry

32 Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he also came down to ^bpthe ^{▼▼Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people}saints who lived at ^{▼▼OT: Lod
,} ^bsLydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years, ^{▼▼Lit who was}because he was paralyzed. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your own bed.” Immediately he got up. 35 And all who lived at ^{▼▼OT: Lod
,} ^bvLydda and ^bwSharon saw him, and they ^bxturned to the Lord.

36 Now in ^byJoppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated means ^{▼▼I.e., Gr for Gazelle}Dorcas); this woman was ^{▼▼Lit full of}excelling in acts of kindness and charity which she did habitually. 37 But it happened ^{▼▼Lit in those days}at that time that she became sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an ^ccupstairs room. 38 Since Lydda was near ^cdJoppa, ^cethe disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Do not delay in coming to us.” 39 So Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the ^cfroom upstairs; and all the ^cgwidows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the ^{▼▼A long shirt worn next to the skin}tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. 40 But Peter ^cisent them all out and ^cjknelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “ ^ckTabitha, 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 ^clthe ^{▼▼Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people}saints and ^cnwidows, he presented her alive. 42 It became known all over ^coJoppa, and ^cpmany believed in the Lord. 43 And Peter stayed in ^cqJoppa many days with ^cra tanner named Simon.