Acts 9–10

The Damascus Road

9Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples ^zof the Lord. He went to the high priest ^a2and requested letters ^bfrom him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, ^che might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ³As ^dhe traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. ⁴Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

⁵“Who are You, Lord?” he said.

“I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting,” He replied. ⁶“But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

⁷The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one. ^e8Then Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. ⁹He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.

Saul’s Baptism

¹⁰There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Here I am, Lord!” he said. ^f

¹¹“Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus ^gnamed Saul, since he is praying there. ¹²In a vision ^hhe has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so he can regain his sight.” ⁱ

¹³“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. ^j14And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.” ^k

¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument ^lto take My name to Gentiles, ^mkings, and the Israelites. ⁿ¹⁶I will show him how much he must suffer for My name!” ^o

¹⁷So Ananias left and entered the house. Then he placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ^p

¹⁸At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. ¹⁹And after taking some food, he regained his strength. ^q

Saul Proclaiming the Messiah

Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some days. ²⁰Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.” ^r

²¹But all who heard him were astounded and said, “Isn’t this the man who, in Jerusalem, was destroying those who called on this name and then came here for the purpose of taking them as prisoners to the chief priests?” ^s

²²But Saul grew more capable and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this One is the Messiah.

²³After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, ²⁴but their plot became known to Saul. So they were watching the gates day and night intending to kill him, ^t25but his disciples took him by night and lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the wall. ^u

Saul in Jerusalem

²⁶When he arrived in Jerusalem, ^vhe tried to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple. ²⁷Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that He had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly ^win the name of Jesus. ^x28Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, ^ybut they attempted to kill him. ^z30When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. ^a

³¹So the church ^bthroughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers.

The Healing of Aeneas

³²As Peter was traveling from place to place, ^che also came down to the saints ^dwho lived in Lydda. ^e33There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. ³⁴Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed,” ^fand immediately he got up. ^g35So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon ^hsaw him and turned to the Lord.

Dorcas Restored to Life

³⁶In Joppa ⁱthere was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. ^jShe was always doing good works ^kand acts of charity. ³⁷In those days she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. ³⁸Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who begged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.” ³⁹So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. ⁴⁰Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. ^l41He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive. ⁴²This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³And Peter stayed on many days in Joppa with Simon, ^ma leather tanner. ⁿ

Cornelius’s Vision

10There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment. ^o2He was a devout man and feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God. ^p3About three in the afternoon ^qhe distinctly saw in a vision an angel of God who came in and said to him, “Cornelius!” ^r

⁴Looking intently at him, he became afraid and said, “What is it, lord?”

The angel told him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have come up as a memorial offering before God. ^s5Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. ⁶He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” ^t

⁷When the angel who spoke to him had gone, he called two of his household slaves and a devout soldier, who was one of those who attended him. ⁸After explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Peter’s Vision

⁹The ^unext day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the housetop ^vabout noon. ^w10Then he became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he went into a visionary state. ¹¹He saw heaven opened ^xand an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the earth. ¹²In it were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky. ¹³Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat!”

¹⁴“No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything common ^yand ritually unclean!” ^z

¹⁵Again, a second time, a voice said to him, “What God has made ^•clean, you must not call common.” ^{a 16}This happened three times, and then the object was taken up into heaven.

Peter Visits Cornelius

¹⁷While Peter was deeply perplexed about what the vision he had seen might mean, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions to Simon’s house, stood at the gate. ¹⁸They called out, asking if Simon, who was also named Peter, was lodging there.

¹⁹While Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit told him, “Three men are here looking for you. ^b20Get up, go downstairs, and accompany them with no doubts at all, because I have sent them.” ^c

²¹Then Peter went down to the men and said, “Here I am, the one you’re looking for. What is the reason you’re here?”

²²They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who has a good reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was divinely directed by a holy angel to call you to his house and to hear a message from you.” ^d23Peter then invited them in and gave them lodging.

The next day he got up and set out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him. ^e24The following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshiped him.

²⁶But Peter helped him up and said, “Stand up! I myself am also a man.” ^f27While talking with him, he went on in and found that many had come together there. ²⁸Peter said to them, “You know it’s forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner. ^gBut God has shown me that I must not call any person common or unclean. ^h29That’s why I came without any objection when I was sent for. So I ask: Why did you send for me?”

³⁰Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this hour, at three in the afternoon, ⁱI was ^jpraying in my house. Just then a man in a dazzling robe stood before me ^k31and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your acts of charity have been remembered in God’s sight. ³²Therefore send someone to Joppa and invite Simon here, who is also named Peter. He is lodging in Simon the tanner’s house by the sea.’ ^l33Therefore I immediately sent for you, and you did the right thing in coming. So we are all present before God, to hear everything you have been commanded by the Lord.”

Good News for Gentiles

³⁴Then Peter began to speak: “Now I really understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, ^m35but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him. ³⁶He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all. ⁿ³⁷You know the events ^othat took place throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached: ³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the Devil, because God was with Him. ^p39We ourselves are witnesses of everything He did in both the Judean country and in Jerusalem, yet they killed…