Acts 9

₁Saul kept on threatening to kill the Lord's followers. He even went to the high priest ₂and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord's Way. ₃When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. ₄He fell to the ground and heard a voice that said, “Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?”

₅“Who are you?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus,” the Lord answered. “I am the one you are so cruel to. ₆Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.”

₇The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. ₈Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus, ₉and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.

₁₀A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, “Lord, here I am.”

₁₁The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the house of Judas in Straight Street. When you get there, you will find a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. Saul is praying, ₁₂and he has seen a vision. He saw a man named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him, so that he could see again.”

₁₃Ananias replied, “Lord, a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done to your followers in Jerusalem. ₁₄Now the chief priests have given him the power to come here and arrest anyone who worships in your name.”

₁₅The Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me. ₁₆I will show him how much he must suffer for worshipping in my name.”

₁₇Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, “Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

₁₈Suddenly something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see. He got up and was baptized. ₁₉Then he ate and felt much better.

For several days Saul stayed with the Lord's followers in Damascus. ₂₀Soon he went to the Jewish meeting places and started telling people that Jesus is the Son of God. ₂₁Everyone who heard Saul was amazed and said, “Isn't this the man who caused so much trouble for those people in Jerusalem who worship in the name of Jesus? Didn't he come here to arrest them and take them to the chief priests?”

₂₂Saul preached with such power that he completely confused the Jewish people in Damascus, as he tried to show them that Jesus is the Messiah.

₂₃Later some of them made plans to kill Saul, ₂₄but he found out about it. He learnt that they were guarding the gates of the city day and night in order to kill him. ₂₅Then one night his followers let him down over the city wall in a large basket.

₂₆When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the followers. But they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe he was a true follower. ₂₇Then Barnabas helped him by taking him to the apostles. He explained how Saul had seen the Lord and how the Lord had spoken to him. Barnabas also said that when Saul was in Damascus, he had spoken bravely in the name of Jesus.

₂₈Saul moved about freely with the followers in Jerusalem and told everyone about the Lord. ₂₉He was always arguing with the Jews who spoke Greek, and so they tried to kill him. ₃₀But the followers found out about this and took Saul to Caesarea. From there they sent him to the city of Tarsus.

₃₁The church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria now had a time of peace and kept on worshipping the Lord. The church became stronger, as the Holy Spirit encouraged it and helped it grow.

₃₂While Peter was travelling from place to place, he visited the Lord's followers who lived in the town of Lydda. ₃₃There he met a man named Aeneas, who for eight years had been sick in bed and could not move. ₃₄Peter said to Aeneas, “Jesus Christ has healed you! Get up and make up your bed.” Straight away he stood up.

₃₅Many people in the towns of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas and became followers of the Lord.

₃₆In Joppa there was a follower named Tabitha. Her Greek name was Dorcas, which means “deer”. She was always doing good things for people and had given much to the poor. ₃₇But she became ill and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. ₃₈Joppa wasn't far from Lydda, and the followers heard that Peter was there. They sent two men to say to him, “Please come with us as quickly as you can!” ₃₉Straight away, Peter went with them.

The men took Peter upstairs into the room. Many widows were there crying. They showed him the coats and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was still alive.

₄₀After Peter had sent everyone out of the room, he knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the body of Dorcas and said, “Tabitha, get up!” The woman opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ₄₁He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet.

Peter called in the widows and the other followers and showed them that Dorcas had been raised from death. ₄₂Everyone in Joppa heard what had happened, and many of them put their faith in the Lord. ₄₃Peter stayed on for a while in Joppa in the house of a man named Simon, who made leather.