Acts:9

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* Now Saul , still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord , went to the high priest , * and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus , so that if he found any belonging to the Way , both men and women , he might bring them bound to Jerusalem . * Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus , and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him . * And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him , »Saul , Saul , why do you persecute me ?« * And he said , »Who are you , Lord ?« And he said , »I am Jesus whom you are persecuting , * but get up and enter the city , and it will be told you what you must do .« * The men who were traveling with him stood speechless , hearing the voice but seeing no one . * Saul got up from the ground ; and when his eyes were opened , he could see nothing ; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus . * And for three days he was without sight , and neither ate nor drank . * Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias ; and the Lord said to him in a vision , »Ananias .« And he said , »Here I am , Lord .« * 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 Tarsus named Saul , for he is praying , * and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight .« * But Ananias answered , »Lord , I have heard from many about this man , how much harm he has done to your saints at Jerusalem ; * and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name .« * But the Lord said to him , »Go , for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel ; * for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name .« * So Ananias departed and entered the house . And after laying his hands on him said , »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 filled with the Holy Spirit .« * And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales , and he regained his sight . And he got up and was baptized , * and he took food and was strengthened . * And immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues , saying , »He is the Son of God .« * All those who heard him were amazed , and said , »Is this not he who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called on this name , and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests ?« * But Saul increased all the more in strength , and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ . * When many days had passed , the Jews plotted to kill him , * but their plot became known to Saul . They were watching the gates day and night , to kill him ; * but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall , lowering him in a basket . * When he came to Jerusalem , he tried to join the disciples ; but they were all afraid of him , not believing that he was a disciple . * But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles . And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road , and that he had spoken to him , and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus . * And he was with them moving about freely in Jerusalem , speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord . * And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews ; but they were seeking to kill him . * But when the brethren learned of it , they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus . * So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace and was built up ; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit , it continued to increase . * Now as Peter went through all those regions , he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda . * There he found a man named Aeneas , who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed . * Peter said to him , »Aeneas , Jesus Christ heals you ; get up and make your bed .« Immediately he got up . * And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him , and they turned to the Lord . * Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha (which is translated Dorcas ). She was full of good works and acts of charity . * And at that time she fell sick and died ; and when they had washed her , they laid her body in an upper room . * Since Lydda was near Joppa , the disciples , having heard that Peter was there , sent two men to him , imploring him , »Please come to us without delay .« * So Peter rose and went with them . And when he arrived , they took him to the upper room . All the widows stood beside him , weeping and showing the tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them . * But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed ; then turning to the body , he said , »Tabitha , arise .« And she opened her eyes , and when she saw Peter , she sat up . * And he gave her his hand and raised her up . Then calling the saints and widows he presented her alive . * It became known all over Joppa , and many believed in the Lord . * And Peter stayed for many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon .

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