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The Conversion of Saul

^1 (C1)Now ^(F1)Saul, still ^(C2)breathing ^(F2)threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,² and asked for ^(C1)letters from him to ^(C2)the synagogues in ^(C3)Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to ^(F1)(C4)the 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 ^(C1)suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;⁴ and ^(C1)he 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 ^(C1)it will be told to you what you must do."⁷ The men who traveled with him ^(C1)stood speechless, ^(C2)hearing the ^(F1)voice but seeing no one.⁸ Saul got up from the ground, and ^(C1)though his eyes were open, he ^(F1)could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into ^(C2)Damascus.⁹ And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰ Now there was a disciple in ^(C1)Damascus named ^(C2)Ananias; and the Lord said to him in ^(C3)a 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 ^(C1)Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,¹² and he has seen ^(F1)in a vision a man named Ananias come in and ^(C1)lay 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, ^(C1)how much harm he did to ^(C2)Your ^(F1)saints in Jerusalem;¹⁴ and here he ^(C1)has authority from the chief priests to ^(F1)arrest all who ^(C2)call on Your name."¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, "Go, for ^(C1)he is a chosen ^(F1)instrument of Mine, to bear My name before ^(C2)the Gentiles and ^(C3)kings and the sons of Israel;¹⁶ for ^(C1)I will show him how much he must suffer in behalf of My name."¹⁷ So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after ^(C1)laying his hands on him said, "^(C2)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 ^(C3)filled 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 ^(C1)for several days he was with ^(C2)the disciples who were in Damascus,²⁰ and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus ^(C1)in the synagogues, ^(F1)saying, "He is ^(C2)the Son of God."²¹ All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, "Is this not the one who in Jerusalem ^(C1)destroyed those who ^(C2)called 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 ^(F1)Christ.

²³ When ^(C1)many days had elapsed, ^(C2)the Jews plotted together to do away with him,²⁴ but ^(C1)their plot became known to Saul. ^(C2)They 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 (C1)When 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 ^(C1)Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had ^(C2)seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how ^(C3)he had ^(C4)spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus at Damascus.²⁸ And he was with them, ^(F1)moving about freely in Jerusalem, ^(C1)speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.²⁹ And he was talking and arguing with the ^(F1)(C1)Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death.³⁰ Now when ^(C1)the ^(F1)brothers learned of it, they brought him down to ^(C2)Caesarea and ^(C3)sent him away to ^(C4)Tarsus.

³¹ So ^(C1)the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria ^(F1)enjoyed peace, as it was being built up; and as it ^(F2)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 ^(C1)the ^(F1)saints who lived at ^(F2)(C2)Lydda.³³ There he found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years, ^(F1)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 ^(F1)(C1)Lydda and ^(C2)Sharon saw him, and they ^(C3)turned to the Lord.

³⁶ Now in ^(C1)Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated means ^(F1)Dorcas); this woman was ^(F2)excelling in acts of kindness and charity which she did habitually.³⁷ But it happened ^(F1)at that time that she became sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an ^(C1)upstairs room.³⁸ Since Lydda was near ^(C1)Joppa, ^(C2)the 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 ^(C1)room upstairs; and all the ^(C2)widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the ^(F1)tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them.⁴⁰ But Peter ^(C1)sent them all out and ^(C2)knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, "^(C3)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 ^(C1)the ^(F1)saints and ^(C2)widows, he presented her alive.⁴² It became known all over ^(C1)Joppa, and ^(C2)many believed in the Lord.⁴³ And Peter stayed in ^(C1)Joppa many days with ^(C2)a tanner named Simon.