The Damascus Road: Saul Converted^(A)

9 Then ^(B)Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked ^(C)letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

^3 (D)As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴ Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, ^(E)why are you persecuting Me?”

⁵ And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ^[a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

⁶ So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

⁷ And ^(F)the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. ⁸ Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Ananias Baptizes Saul

¹⁰ Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus ^(G)named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.”

And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

¹¹ So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul ^(H)of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. ¹² And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

¹³ Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, ^(I)how much ^[b]harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all ^(J)who call on Your name.”

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for ^(K)he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before ^(L)Gentiles, ^(M)kings, and the ^(N)children^[c] of Israel. ¹⁶ For ^(O)I will show him how many things he must suffer for My ^(P)name’s sake.”

^17 (Q)And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and ^(R)laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord ^[d]Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and ^(S)be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

¹⁹ So when he had received food, he was strengthened. ^(T)Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

Saul Preaches Christ

²⁰ Immediately he preached ^[e]the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

²¹ Then all who heard were amazed, and said, ^(U)“Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”

²² But Saul increased all the more in strength, ^(V)and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Saul Escapes Death

²³ Now after many days were past, ^(W)the Jews plotted to kill him. ^24 (X)But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. ²⁵ Then the disciples took him by night and ^(Y)let him down through the wall in a large basket.

Saul at Jerusalem

²⁶ And ^(Z)when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. ^27 (AA)But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, ^(AB)and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ So ^(AC)he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. ²⁹ And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the ^(AD)Hellenists,^{[f] (AE)}but they attempted to kill him. ³⁰ When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

The Church Prospers

^31 (AF)Then the ^[g]churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were ^(AG)edified.^[h] And walking in the ^(AH)fear of the Lord and in the ^(AI)comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were ^(AJ)multiplied.

Aeneas Healed

³² Now it came to pass, as Peter went ^(AK)through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. ³³ There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. ³⁴ And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, ^(AL)Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately. ³⁵ So all who dwelt at Lydda and ^(AM)Sharon saw him and ^(AN)turned to the Lord.

Dorcas Restored to Life

³⁶ At Joppa there was a certain disciple named ^[i]Tabitha, which is translated ^[j]Dorcas. This woman was full ^(AO)of good works and charitable deeds which she did. ³⁷ But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in ^(AP)an upper room. ³⁸ And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. ³⁹ Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. ⁴⁰ But Peter ^(AQ)put them all out, and ^(AR)knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he ^(AS)said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. ⁴¹ Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. ⁴² And it became known throughout all Joppa, ^(AT)and many believed on the Lord. ⁴³ So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with ^(AU)Simon, a tanner.

Journeys in Greece

20 After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and ^(A)departed to go to Macedonia. ² Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to ^(B)Greece ³ and stayed three months. And ^(C)when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. ⁴ And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also ^(D)Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and ^(E)Gaius of Derbe, and ^(F)Timothy, and ^(G)Tychicus and ^(H)Trophimus of Asia. ⁵ These men, going ahead, waited for us at ^(I)Troas. ⁶ But we sailed away from Philippi after ^(J)the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them ^(K)at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

Ministering at Troas

⁷ Now on ^(L)the first day of the week, when the disciples came together ^(M)to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps ^(N)in the upper room where ^[a]they were gathered together. ⁹ And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. ¹⁰ But Paul went down, ^(O)fell on him, and embracing him said, ^(P)“Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” ¹¹ Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. ¹² And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

From Troas to Miletus

¹³ Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had ^[b]given orders, intending himself to go on foot. ¹⁴ And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. ¹⁵ We sailed from there, and the next day came opposite Chios. The following day we arrived at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The next day we came to Miletus. ¹⁶ For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for ^(Q)he was hurrying ^(R)to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on ^(S)the Day of Pentecost.

The Ephesian Elders Exhorted

¹⁷ From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, ^(T)from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me ^(U)by the plotting of the Jews; ²⁰ how ^(V)I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, ^21 (W)testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, ^(X)repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. ²² And see, now ^(Y)I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, ²³ except that ^(Z)the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. ^24 [c]But ^(AA)none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, ^(AB)so that I may finish my ^[d]race with joy, ^(AC)and the ministry ^(AD)which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

²⁵ “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. ²⁶ Therefore I testify to you this day that I am ^(AE)innocent^[e] of the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I have not ^[f]shunned to declare to you ^(AF)the whole counsel of God. ^28 (AG)Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit ^(AH)has made you overseers, to shepherd the church ^[g]of God ^(AI)which He purchased ^(AJ)with His own blood. ²⁹ For I know this, that after my departure ^(AK)savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also ^(AL)from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking ^[h]perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. ³¹ Therefore watch, and remember that ^(AM)for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

³² “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and ^(AN)to the word of His grace, which is able ^(AO)to build you up and give you ^(AP)an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. ^34 [i]Yes, you yourselves know ^(AQ)that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. ³⁵ I have shown you in every way, ^(AR)by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

³⁶ And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. ³⁷ Then they all ^(AS)wept ^[j]freely, and ^(AT)fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, ³⁸ sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.