9 Saul was still very angry with the Lord's disciples. He said he would kill them. He went to the high priest.

² He asked him for letters to take to the meeting places at Damascus. In this way he was given the power to catch any men or women disciples. He could tie them and bring them back to Jerusalem.

³ He went on his way. All at once, near the city of Damascus, a light from the sky shone around him.

⁴ He fell to the ground and heard someone say, `Saul, Saul, why are you troubling me?'

⁵ Saul said, `Who are you, Lord?' The Lord said, `I am Jesus. You are troubling me.

⁶ But get up and go to the city. There you will be told what you must do.'

⁷ The men who had come with Saul stood there. They did not say a word. They heard a voice but did not see anyone.

⁸ Saul got up off the ground. When he opened his eyes, he was blind. They took his hand and led him to Damascus.

⁹ For three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink.

¹⁰ A disciple named Ananias lived in Damascus. The Lord came to him in a vision and said. `Ananias.' He replied, `Here I am, Lord.'

¹¹ The Lord said, `Go into the street which is called Straight. At the house of Judas, ask for a man named Saul, from the city of Tarsus. He is there, talking with God.

¹² In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming to him. He has seen him put his hands on him so that he may see again.'

¹³ Then Ananias replied, `Lord, often I have heard of this man. He has brought much trouble to your people at Jerusalem.

¹⁴ The chief priests have given him power in this city to put into prison all those who call on your name.'

¹⁵ The Lord said, `Go, I have chosen him to take my name to the people who are not Jews, to kings, and to the people of Israel also.

¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake.'

¹⁷ Then Ananias went. He went into the house and put his hands on Saul. He said, `Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus came to you on the road while you were coming here. He has sent me to you so that you may see again, and that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit.'

¹⁸ At once some kind of skin which had covered Saul's eyes came off. He was able to see again from then on. He got up and was baptised.

¹⁹ And when he had eaten food, he was strong again. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples at Damascus.

²⁰ Right away he went to the Jewish meeting places and told the people that Jesus is the Son of God.

²¹ All the people who heard him were surprised. They said, `This man killed the people who called on Jesus' name in Jerusalem. He came here to catch them and tie them and take them to the chief priests!'

²² But Saul became stronger and stronger. He proved that Jesus is the Christ and made it so plain that the Jews at Damascus did not know what to say.

²³ Then some time after that, the leaders of the Jews planned to kill Saul.

²⁴ But he found out that they were waiting for him. The Jewish leaders watched the gates of the city night and day. They were waiting for a chance to kill him.

²⁵ Then one night the disciples put him in a basket and let him down outside the city wall.

²⁶ When Saul came to Jerusalem, he wanted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe that he was a disciple.

²⁷ But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them, `Saul has seen the Lord on the road. The Lord has talked to him. After that he told God's word in the name of Jesus, without fear at Damascus.'

²⁸ So Saul stayed with the apostles and went around in Jerusalem. He told God's word in the name of the Lord Jesus without fear.

²⁹ He talked to the Jews who spoke the Greek language. But they did not agree with Saul, and so they made plans to kill him.

³⁰ When the Christian brothers knew that, they took him to Caesarea. Then they sent him to Tarsus [the city where he was born].

³¹ After that, the churches in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria were not troubled any more and they believed more strongly. The people obeyed the Lord, and the Holy Spirit helped them to believe. And many more people joined them.

³² While Peter was travelling through all the towns, he came to visit God's people who lived in the city of Lydda.

³³ There he saw a man named Aeneas who was sick. He could not stand up. He had been on his bed for eight years.

³⁴ Peter said to him, `Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!' The man got up at once.

³⁵ All the people who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

³⁶ In the city of Joppa there was a disciple. Her name was Tabitha. That means Dorcas or Gazelle. She did much good work and she gave many things to the poor people.

³⁷ She became sick and died. They bathed her body and put her in a room upstairs.

³⁸ Lydda was near Joppa. When the disciples heard that Peter was at Lydda, they sent two men and asked for him to come quickly.

³⁹ Peter got up and went with them. When he got there, they took him to the room upstairs. Women whose husbands were dead stood there crying. They showed Peter the clothes and coats that Dorcas had made for them while she was with them.

⁴⁰ Peter put them all out. He kneeled down and talked to God. He turned to the body and said, `Tabitha, get up.' She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up.

⁴¹ He took her hand and helped her get up. Then he called in God's people and the women, and he gave her back to them alive.

⁴² All over Joppa people heard about this. Many people believed on the Lord.

⁴³ Peter stayed in Joppa for many days. He was with a man named Simon, who made skins into leather.