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ο δε σαυλος ετι εμπνεων απειλης και φονου εις τους μαθητας του κυριου προσελθων τω αρχιερει

ητησατο παρ αυτου επιστολας εις δαμασκον προς τας συναγωγας οπως εαν τινας ευρη της οδου οντας ανδρας τε και γυναικας δεδεμενους αγαγη εις ιερουσαλημ

εν δε τω πορευεσθαι εγενετο αυτον εγγιζειν τη δαμασκω εξαιφνης τε αυτον περιηστραψεν φως εκ του ουρανου

και πεσων επι την γην ηκουσεν φωνην λεγουσαν αυτω σαουλ σαουλ τι με διωκεις

ειπεν δε τις ει κυριε ο δε εγω ειμι ιησους ον συ διωκεις

αλλα αναστηθι και εισελθε εις την πολιν και λαληθησεται σοι ο τι σε δει ποιειν

οι δε ανδρες οι συνοδευοντες αυτω ειστηκεισαν ενεοι ακουοντες μεν της φωνης μηδενα δε θεωρουντες

ηγερθη δε σαυλος απο της γης ανεωγμενων δε των οφθαλμων αυτου ουδεν εβλεπεν χειραγωγουντες δε αυτον εισηγαγον εις δαμασκον

και ην ημερας τρεις μη βλεπων και ουκ εφαγεν ουδε επιεν

10 ην δε τις μαθητης εν δαμασκω ονοματι ανανιας και ειπεν προς αυτον εν οραματι ο κυριος ανανια ο δε ειπεν ιδου εγω κυριε

11 ο δε κυριος προς αυτον αναστα πορευθητι επι την ρυμην την καλουμενην ευθειαν και ζητησον εν οικια ιουδα σαυλον ονοματι ταρσεα ιδου γαρ προσευχεται

12 και ειδεν ανδρα [εν οραματι] ανανιαν ονοματι εισελθοντα και επιθεντα αυτω [τας] χειρας οπως αναβλεψη

13 απεκριθη δε ανανιας κυριε ηκουσα απο πολλων περι του ανδρος τουτου οσα κακα τοις αγιοις σου εποιησεν εν ιερουσαλημ

14 και ωδε εχει εξουσιαν παρα των αρχιερεων δησαι παντας τους επικαλουμενους το ονομα σου

15 ειπεν δε προς αυτον ο κυριος πορευου οτι σκευος εκλογης εστιν μοι ουτος του βαστασαι το ονομα μου ενωπιον [των] εθνων τε και βασιλεων υιων τε ισραηλ

16 εγω γαρ υποδειξω αυτω οσα δει αυτον υπερ του ονοματος μου παθειν

17 απηλθεν δε ανανιας και εισηλθεν εις την οικιαν και επιθεις επ αυτον τας χειρας ειπεν σαουλ αδελφε ο κυριος απεσταλκεν με ιησους ο οφθεις σοι εν τη οδω η ηρχου οπως αναβλεψης και πλησθης πνευματος αγιου

18 και ευθεως απεπεσαν αυτου απο των οφθαλμων ως λεπιδες ανεβλεψεν τε και αναστας εβαπτισθη

19 και λαβων τροφην ενισχυθη εγενετο δε μετα των εν δαμασκω μαθητων ημερας τινας

20 και ευθεως εν ταις συναγωγαις εκηρυσσεν τον ιησουν οτι ουτος εστιν ο υιος του θεου

21 εξισταντο δε παντες οι ακουοντες και ελεγον ουχ ουτος εστιν ο πορθησας εν ιερουσαλημ τους επικαλουμενους το ονομα τουτο και ωδε εις τουτο εληλυθει ινα δεδεμενους αυτους αγαγη επι τους αρχιερεις

22 σαυλος δε μαλλον ενεδυναμουτο και συνεχυννεν ιουδαιους τους κατοικουντας εν δαμασκω συμβιβαζων οτι ουτος εστιν ο χριστος

23 ως δε επληρουντο ημεραι ικαναι συνεβουλευσαντο οι ιουδαιοι ανελειν αυτον

24 εγνωσθη δε τω σαυλω η επιβουλη αυτων παρετηρουντο δε και τας πυλας ημερας τε και νυκτος οπως αυτον ανελωσιν

25 λαβοντες δε οι μαθηται αυτου νυκτος δια του τειχους καθηκαν αυτον χαλασαντες εν σπυριδι

26 παραγενομενος δε εις ιερουσαλημ επειραζεν κολλασθαι τοις μαθηταις και παντες εφοβουντο αυτον μη πιστευοντες οτι εστιν μαθητης

27 βαρναβας δε επιλαβομενος αυτον ηγαγεν προς τους αποστολους και διηγησατο αυτοις πως εν τη οδω ειδεν τον κυριον και οτι ελαλησεν αυτω και πως εν δαμασκω επαρρησιασατο εν τω ονοματι ιησου

28 και ην μετ αυτων εισπορευομενος και εκπορευομενος εις ιερουσαλημ παρρησιαζομενος εν τω ονοματι του κυριου

29 ελαλει τε και συνεζητει προς τους ελληνιστας οι δε επεχειρουν ανελειν αυτον

30 επιγνοντες δε οι αδελφοι κατηγαγον αυτον εις καισαρειαν και εξαπεστειλαν αυτον εις ταρσον

31 η μεν ουν εκκλησια καθ ολης της ιουδαιας και γαλιλαιας και σαμαρειας ειχεν ειρηνην οικοδομουμενη και πορευομενη τω φοβω του κυριου και τη παρακλησει του αγιου πνευματος επληθυνετο

32 εγενετο δε πετρον διερχομενον δια παντων κατελθειν και προς τους αγιους τους κατοικουντας λυδδα

33 ευρεν δε εκει ανθρωπον τινα ονοματι αινεαν εξ ετων οκτω κατακειμενον επι κραβαττου ος ην παραλελυμενος

34 και ειπεν αυτω ο πετρος αινεα ιαται σε ιησους χριστος αναστηθι και στρωσον σεαυτω και ευθεως ανεστη

35 και ειδαν αυτον παντες οι κατοικουντες λυδδα και τον σαρωνα οιτινες επεστρεψαν επι τον κυριον

36 εν ιοππη δε τις ην μαθητρια ονοματι ταβιθα η διερμηνευομενη λεγεται δορκας αυτη ην πληρης εργων αγαθων και ελεημοσυνων ων εποιει

37 εγενετο δε εν ταις ημεραις εκειναις ασθενησασαν αυτην αποθανειν λουσαντες δε εθηκαν εν υπερωω

38 εγγυς δε ουσης λυδδας τη ιοππη οι μαθηται ακουσαντες οτι πετρος εστιν εν αυτη απεστειλαν δυο ανδρας προς αυτον παρακαλουντες μη οκνησης διελθειν εως ημων

39 αναστας δε πετρος συνηλθεν αυτοις ον παραγενομενον ανηγαγον εις το υπερωον και παρεστησαν αυτω πασαι αι χηραι κλαιουσαι και επιδεικνυμεναι χιτωνας και ιματια οσα εποιει μετ αυτων ουσα η δορκας

40 εκβαλων δε εξω παντας ο πετρος και θεις τα γονατα προσηυξατο και επιστρεψας προς το σωμα ειπεν ταβιθα αναστηθι η δε ηνοιξεν τους οφθαλμους αυτης και ιδουσα τον πετρον ανεκαθισεν

41 δους δε αυτη χειρα ανεστησεν αυτην φωνησας δε τους αγιους και τας χηρας παρεστησεν αυτην ζωσαν

42 γνωστον δε εγενετο καθ ολης ιοππης και επιστευσαν πολλοι επι τον κυριον

43 εγενετο δε ημερας ικανας μειναι εν ιοππη παρα τινι σιμωνι βυρσει

But Paul, threatening with every breath and eager to destroy every Christian, went to the High Priest in Jerusalem. He requested a letter addressed to synagogues in Damascus, requiring their cooperation in the persecution of any believers he found there, both men and women, so that he could bring them in chains to Jerusalem.

As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, suddenly a brilliant light from heaven spotted down upon him! He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Paul! Paul! Why are you persecuting me?”

“Who is speaking, sir?” Paul asked.

And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city and await my further instructions.”

The men with Paul stood speechless with surprise, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8-9 As Paul picked himself up off the ground, he found that he was blind. He had to be led into Damascus and was there three days, blind, going without food and water all that time.

10 Now there was in Damascus a believer named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord!” he replied.

11 And the Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street and find the house of a man named Judas and ask there for Paul of Tarsus. He is praying to me right now, for 12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him so that he can see again!”

13 “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I have heard about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! 14 And we hear that he has arrest warrants with him from the chief priests, authorizing him to arrest every believer in Damascus!”

15 But the Lord said, “Go and do what I say. For Paul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the nations and before kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for me.”

17 So Ananias went over and found Paul and laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Paul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit and get your sight back.”

18 Instantly (it was as though scales fell from his eyes) Paul could see and was immediately baptized. 19 Then he ate and was strengthened.

He stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days 20 and went at once to the synagogue to tell everyone there the Good News about Jesus—that he is indeed the Son of God!

21 All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who persecuted Jesus’ followers so bitterly in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And we understand that he came here to arrest them all and take them in chains to the chief priests.”

22 Paul became more and more fervent in his preaching, and the Damascus Jews couldn’t withstand his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Christ.

23 After a while the Jewish leaders determined to kill him. 24 But Paul was told about their plans, that they were watching the gates of the city day and night prepared to murder him. 25 So during the night some of his converts let him down in a basket through an opening in the city wall!

26 Upon arrival in Jerusalem he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They thought he was faking! 27 Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Paul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus, what the Lord had said to him, and all about his powerful preaching in the name of Jesus. 28 Then they accepted him, and after that he was constantly with the believers 29 and preached boldly in the name of the Lord. But then some Greek-speaking Jews with whom he had argued plotted to murder him. 30 However, when the other believers heard about his danger, they took him to Caesarea and then sent him to his home in Tarsus.

31 Meanwhile, the church had peace throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria, and grew in strength and numbers. The believers learned how to walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

32 Peter traveled from place to place to visit them,[a] and in his travels came to the believers in the town of Lydda. 33 There he met a man named Aeneas, paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.

34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas! Jesus Christ has healed you! Get up and make your bed.” And he was healed instantly. 35 Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord when they saw Aeneas walking around.

36 In the city of Joppa there was a woman named Dorcas (“Gazelle”), a believer who was always doing kind things for others, especially for the poor. 37 About this time she became ill and died. Her friends prepared her for burial and laid her in an upstairs room. 38 But when they learned that Peter was nearby at Lydda, they sent two men to beg him to return with them to Joppa. 39 This he did; as soon as he arrived, they took him upstairs where Dorcas lay. The room was filled with weeping widows who were showing one another the coats and other garments Dorcas had made for them. 40 But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Dorcas,”[b] and she opened her eyes! And when she saw Peter, she sat up! 41 He gave her his hand and helped her up and called in the believers and widows, presenting her to them.

42 The news raced through the town, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, the tanner.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 9:32 to visit them, implied.
  2. Acts 9:40 Dorcas, literally, “Tabitha,” her name in Hebrew.