Acts 9:19-43

New American Standard Bible 1995

¹⁹ and he took food and was strengthened.

Saul Begins to Preach Christ

Now ^(A)for several days he was with ^(B)the disciples who were at Damascus, ²⁰ and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus ^(C)in the synagogues, ^[a]saying, “He is ^(D)the Son of God.” ²¹ All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem ^(E)destroyed those who ^(F)called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” ²² But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the ^[b]Christ.

²³ When ^(G)many days had elapsed, ^(H)the Jews plotted together to do away with him, ²⁴ but ^(I)their plot became known to Saul. ^(J)They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; ²⁵ but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

^26 (K)When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; ^[c]but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. ²⁷ But ^(L)Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had ^(M)seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how ^(N)at Damascus he had ^(O)spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ And he was with them, ^[d]moving about freely in Jerusalem, ^(P)speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ And he was talking and arguing with the ^[e](Q)Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. ³⁰ But when ^(R)the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to ^(S)Caesarea and ^(T)sent him away to ^(U)Tarsus.

³¹ So ^(V)the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria ^[f]enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.

Peter’s Ministry

³² Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to ^(W)the ^[g]saints who lived at ^[h](X)Lydda. ³³ There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. ³⁴ Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.” Immediately he got up. ³⁵ And all who lived at ^[i](Y)Lydda and ^(Z)Sharon saw him, and they ^(AA)turned to the Lord.

³⁶ Now in ^(AB)Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called ^[j]Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. ³⁷ And it happened ^[k]at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an ^(AC)upper room. ³⁸ Since Lydda was near ^(AD)Joppa, ^(AE)the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, “Do not delay in coming to us.” ³⁹ So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the ^(AF)upper room; and all the ^(AG)widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the ^[l]tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. ⁴⁰ But Peter ^(AH)sent them all out and ^(AI)knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “^(AJ)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 ^(AK)the ^[m]saints and ^(AL)widows, he presented her alive. ⁴² It became known all over ^(AM)Joppa, and ^(AN)many believed in the Lord. ⁴³ And Peter stayed many days in ^(AO)Joppa with ^(AP)a tanner named Simon.