Acts of the Apostles 9

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Meanwhile Saul was stil breathing threats to slaughter the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest	1 Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 and asked for letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, that would authorise him to arrest andtake to Jerusalem any followers of the Way, men or women, that he might find.	2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.
3 It happened that while he was travelling to Damascus and approaching the city, suddenly a light fromheaven shone al round him.	3 On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.
4 He fel to the ground, and then he heard a voice saying, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'	4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
5 'Who are you, Lord?' he asked, and the answer came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.	5 He said, "Who are you, sir?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
6 Get up and go into the city, and you wil be told what you are to do.'	6 Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do."
7 The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless, for though they heard the voice they could see no one.	7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one.
8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing at all, and they had tolead him into Damascus by the hand.	8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.
9 For three days he was without his sight and took neither food nor drink.	9 For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.
10 There was a disciple in Damascus cal ed Ananias, and he had a vision in which the Lord said to him,'Ananias!' When he replied, 'Here I am, Lord,'	10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord."
11 the Lord said, 'Get up and go to Straight Street and ask at the house of Judas for someone cal ed Saul,who comes from Tarsus. At this moment he is praying,	11 The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying,
12 and has seen a man cal ed Ananias coming in and laying hands on him to give him back his sight.'	12 and (in a vision) he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay (his) hands on him, that he may regain his sight."
13 But in response, Ananias said, 'Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and al the harmhe has been doing to your holy people in Jerusalem.	13 But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.
14 He has come here with a warrant from the chief priests to arrest everybody who invokes your name.'	14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name."
15 The Lord replied, 'Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before gentiles and kingsand before the people of Israel;	15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites,
16 I myself wil show him how much he must suffer for my name.'	16 and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name."
17 Then Ananias went. He entered the house, and laid his hands on Saul and said, 'Brother Saul, I havebeen sent by the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, so that you may recover your sight and befilled with the Holy Spirit.'	17 So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, "Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit."
18 It was as though scales fel away from his eyes and immediately he was able to see again. So he gotup and was baptised,	18 Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized,
19 and after taking some food he regained his strength. After he had spent only a few days with thedisciples in Damascus,	19 and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,
20 he began preaching in the synagogues, 'Jesus is the Son of God.'	20 and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
21 Al his hearers were amazed, and said, 'Surely, this is the man who did such damage in Jerusalem tothe people who invoke this name, and who came here for the sole purpose of arresting them to have them triedby the chief priests?'	21 All who heard him were astounded and said, "Is not this the man who in Jerusalem ravaged those who call upon this name, and came here expressly to take them back in chains to the chief priests?"
22 Saul's power increased steadily, and he was able to throw the Jewish colony at Damascus intocomplete confusion by the way he demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ.	22 But Saul grew all the stronger and confounded (the) Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah.
23 Some time passed, and the Jews worked out a plot to kil him,	23 After a long time had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,
24 but news of it reached Saul. They were keeping watch at the gates day and night in order to kil him,	24 but their plot became known to Saul. Now they were keeping watch on the gates day and night so as to kill him,
25 but the disciples took him by night and let him down from the wal , lowering him in a basket.	25 but his disciples took him one night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
26 When he got to Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were al afraid of him: they could notbelieve he was real y a disciple.	26 When he arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
27 Barnabas, however, took charge of him, introduced him to the apostles, and explained how the Lordhad appeared to him and spoken to him on his journey, and how he had preached fearlessly at Damascus in thename of Jesus.	27 Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how on the way he had seen the Lord and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.
28 Saul now started to go round with them in Jerusalem, preaching fearlessly in the name of the Lord.	28 He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord.
29 But after he had spoken to the Hel enists and argued with them, they became determined to kil him.	29 He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they tried to kill him.
30 When the brothers got to know of this, they took him to Caesarea and sent him off from there toTarsus.	30 And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus.
31 The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves upand living in the fear of the Lord; encouraged by the Holy Spirit, they continued to grow.	31 The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the holy Spirit it grew in numbers.
32 It happened that Peter visited one place after another and eventually came to God's holy people livingdown in Lydda.	32 As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda.
33 There he found a man called Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years.	33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.
34 Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you: get up and make your bed.' Aeneas got upimmediately;	34 Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed." He got up at once.
35 everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were converted to the Lord.	35 And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
36 At Jaffa there was a disciple called Tabitha, or in Greek, Dorcas, who never tired of doing good orgiving to those in need.	36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated means Dorcas). She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving.
37 But it happened that at this time she became ill and died, and they washed her and laid her out in anupper room.	37 Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after washing her, they laid (her) out in a room upstairs.
38 Lydda is not far from Jaffa, so when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men tourge him, 'Come to us without delay.'	38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay."
39 Peter went back with them immediately, and on his arrival they took him to the upper room, where althe widows stood round him in tears, showing him tunics and other clothes Dorcas had made when she was withthem.	39 So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
40 Peter sent everyone out of the room and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the dead womanand said, 'Tabitha, stand up.' She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up.	40 Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.
41 Peter helped her to her feet, then he cal ed in the members of the congregation and widows andshowed them she was alive.	41 He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive.
42 The whole of Jaffa heard about it and many believed in the Lord.	42 This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord.
43 Peter stayed on some time in Jaffa, lodging with a leather-tanner cal ed Simon.	43 And he stayed a long time in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.