Acts of the Apostles 9

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Meanwhile Saul was stil breathing threats to slaughter the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest	1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and beatings 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 he petitioned him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that, if he found any men or women belonging to this Way, he could lead them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3 It happened that while he was travelling to Damascus and approaching the city, suddenly a light fromheaven shone al round him.	3 And as he made the journey, it happened that he was approaching Damascus. And suddenly, a light from heaven shone around him.
4 He fel to the ground, and then he heard a voice saying, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'	4 And falling to the ground, he 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 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goad.”
6 Get up and go into the city, and you wil be told what you are to do.'	6 And he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
7 The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless, for though they heard the voice they could see no one.	7 And the Lord said to him, “Rise up and go into the city, and there you will be told what you ought to do.” Now the men who were accompanying him were standing stupefied, hearing indeed a voice, but seeing 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 Then Saul rose up from the ground. And upon opening his eyes, he saw nothing. So leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.
9 For three days he was without his sight and took neither food nor drink.	9 And in that place, he was without sight for three days, 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 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, '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 And the Lord said to him: “Rise up and go into the street that is called Straight, and seek, in the house of Judas, the one named Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he is 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 Paul saw a man named Ananias entering and imposing hands upon him, so that he might receive 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 responded: “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.
14 He has come here with a warrant from the chief priests to arrest everybody who invokes your name.'	14 And he has authority here from the leaders of the priests to bind all who invoke 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 Then the Lord said to him: “Go, for this one is an instrument chosen by me to convey my name before nations and kings and the sons of Israel.
16 I myself wil show him how much he must suffer for my name.'	16 For I will reveal to him how much he must suffer on behalf of 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 And Ananias departed. And he entered the house. And laying his hands upon him, he said: “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, he who appeared to you on the way by which you arrived, sent me so that you would receive 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 And immediately, it was as if scales had fallen from his eyes, and he received his sight. And rising up, he 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 taken a meal, he was strengthened. Now he was with the disciples who were at Damascus for some days.
20 he began preaching in the synagogues, 'Jesus is the Son of God.'	20 And he was continuously preaching 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 And all who heard him were astonished, and they said, “Is this not the one who, in Jerusalem, was fighting against those invoking this name, and who came here for this: so that he might lead them away to the leaders of the 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 was increasing to a greater extent in ability, and so he was confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus, by affirming that he is the Christ.
23 Some time passed, and the Jews worked out a plot to kil him,	23 And when many days were completed, the Jews took counsel as one, so that they might put him to death.
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 treachery became known to Saul. Now they were also watching the gates, day and night, so that they might put him to death.
25 but the disciples took him by night and let him down from the wal , lowering him in a basket.	25 But the disciples, taking him away by night, sent him over the wall by letting him down 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 And when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he attempted to join himself to the disciples. And 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 But Barnabas took him aside and led him to the Apostles. And he explained to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how, in Damascus, he had acted faithfully 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 And he was with them, entering and departing Jerusalem, and acting faithfully 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 was speaking with the Gentiles and disputing with the Greeks. But they were seeking 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 had realized this, they brought him to Caesarea and sent him away 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 Certainly, the Church had peace throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and it was being built up, while walking in the fear of the Lord, and it was being filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.
32 It happened that Peter visited one place after another and eventually came to God's holy people livingdown in Lydda.	32 Then it happened that Peter, as he traveled around everywhere, came to the saints who were living at Lydda.
33 There he found a man called Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years.	33 But he found there a certain man, named Aeneas, who was a paralytic, who had lain in bed for eight years.
34 Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you: get up and make your bed.' Aeneas got upimmediately;	34 And Peter said to him: “Aeneas, the Lord Jesus Christ heals you. Rise up and arrange your bed.” And immediately he rose up.
35 everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were converted to the Lord.	35 And all who were living in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were converted 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 certain disciple named Tabitha, which in translation is called Dorcas. She was filled with the good works and almsgiving that she was accomplishing.
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 And it happened that, in those days, she became ill and died. And when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
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 Now since Lydda was close to Joppa, the disciples, upon hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, asking him: “Do not be slow in coming to us.”
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 Then Peter, rising up, went with them. And when he had arrived, they led him to an upper room. And all the widows were standing around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and garments that Dorcas had made for 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 And when they had all been sent outside, Peter, kneeling down, prayed. And turning to the body, he said: “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes and, upon seeing Peter, sat up again.
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 And offering her his hand, he lifted her up. And when he had called in the saints and the widows, he presented her alive.
42 The whole of Jaffa heard about it and many believed in the Lord.	42 Now this became known throughout all of Joppa. And many believed in the Lord.
43 Peter stayed on some time in Jaffa, lodging with a leather-tanner cal ed Simon.	43 And it happened that he resided for many days in Joppa, with a certain Simon, a tanner.