³⁶ In Joppa^(A) there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good^(B) and helping the poor. ³⁷ About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.^{(C) 38} Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples^(D) heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

³⁹ Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows^(E) stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

⁴⁰ Peter sent them all out of the room;^(F) then he got down on his knees^(G) and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.”^(H) She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. ⁴² This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.^(I)

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

¹¹ From Troas^(A) we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. ¹² From there we traveled to Philippi,^(B) a Roman colony and the leading city of that district^[a] of Macedonia.^(C) And we stayed there several days.

¹³ On the Sabbath^(D) we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira^(E) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart^(F) to respond to Paul’s message. ¹⁵ When she and the members of her household^(G) were baptized,^(H) she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.^(A)