Beginning

9 ¶ And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, came unto the prince of the priests

² and asked him for letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

³ And as he proceeded, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven;

⁴ and falling to the earth, he heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?

⁵ And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I AM Jesus whom thou dost persecute; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

⁶ And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what it behooves thee to do.

⁷ And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing indeed the voice, but seeing no one.

⁸ Then Saul arose from the earth; and opening his eyes, he saw no one; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus

⁹ where he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰ ¶ And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; to whom the Lord said in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

¹¹ And the Lord said unto him, Arise and go into the street which is called Straight and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus; for, behold, he prays

¹² and has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

¹³ Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, of how much evil he has done to thy saints in Jerusalem,

¹⁴ and even here he has authority from the princes of the priests to bind all that call on thy name.

¹⁵ But the Lord said unto him, Go; for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;

¹⁶ for I will show him how much it behooves him to suffer for my name.

¹⁷ Then Ananias went and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared unto thee in the way as thou didst come, has sent me, that thou might receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales; and he received sight immediately and arose and was baptized.

¹⁹ And when he had received food, he was comforted. Then Saul was certain days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

²⁰ And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

²¹ But all that heard him were amazed and said, Is not this he that destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem and came here for that intent that he might bring them bound unto the princes of the priests?

²² But Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Jews who dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

²³ ¶ And as many days passed, the Jews took counsel among themselves to kill him;

²⁴ but their ambushes were understood by Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

²⁵ Then the disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket.

²⁶ And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him and did not believe that he was a disciple.

²⁷ But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way and that he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

²⁸ And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem;

²⁹ and he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Greeks; but they went about to slay him,

³⁰ which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus.

³¹ Then the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} had rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified, walking in the fear of the Lord, and with the comfort of the Holy Spirit they were multiplied.

³² ¶ And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints who dwelt at Lydda.

³³ And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been in bed eight years, for he was a paralytic.

³⁴ And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, the Lord Jesus, the Christ, makes thee whole; arise and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.

³⁵ And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him and turned to the Lord.

³⁶ ¶ Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas; this woman was full of good works and alms-deeds {lit. acts of mercy} which she did.

³⁷ And it came to pass in those days that she was sick and died, whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

³⁸ And since as Lydda was close to Joppa and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, asking him that he not delay to come to them.

³⁹ Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made them while she was with them.

⁴⁰ Then Peter put them all out and knelt down and prayed and turned to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes; and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

⁴¹ And he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

⁴² And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

⁴³ And it came to pass that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.

10 ¶ There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the company called the Italian,

² a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, who gave many alms to the people and prayed to God always.

³ He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him, Cornelius.

⁴ And when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms {lit. thine acts of mercy} are come up for a memorial before God.

⁵ And now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter;

⁶ he lodges with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side; he shall tell thee what it behooves thee to do.

⁷ And when the angel who spoke unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of those that waited on him continually;

⁸ and when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

⁹ ¶ On the morrow, as they went on their journey and drew near unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour;

¹⁰ and he became very hungry and would have eaten; but while they made ready, he fell into a rapture of understanding

¹¹ and saw the heaven opened and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth,

¹² in which were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth and wild beasts and reptiles and fowls of the air.

¹³ And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter, kill and eat.

¹⁴ But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

¹⁵ And the voice spoke unto him again the second time, That which God has cleansed, do not call common.

¹⁶ This was done three times, and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

¹⁷ Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men who were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house and stood before the gate

¹⁸ and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.

¹⁹ ¶ While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

²⁰ Arise therefore and get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.

²¹ Then Peter went down to the men who were sent unto him from Cornelius and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek; what is the cause for which ye are come?

²² And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man and one that fears God and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house and to hear words of thee.

²³ Then he called them in and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

²⁴ And the next day they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

²⁵ And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him.

²⁶ But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

²⁷ And as he talked with him, he went in and found many that were come together.

²⁸ And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an abominable thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation; but God has showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

²⁹ Therefore I came unto you without doubting, as soon as I was sent for; I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?

³⁰ And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing

³¹ and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.

³² Send therefore to Joppa, and call here Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side, who, when he comes, shall speak unto thee.

³³ Immediately therefore I sent to thee, and thou hast done well to come. Now therefore we are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

³⁴ ¶ Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons;

³⁵ but in every nation he that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.

³⁶ The word which God sent unto the sons of Israel, preaching the gospel: peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),

³⁷ that word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached,

³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him.

³⁹ And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of Judea and in Jerusalem, whom they slew hanging him on a tree.

⁴⁰ This same one God raised up the third day and showed him openly,

⁴¹ not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

⁴² And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is he who is ordained of God to be the Judge of living and dead.

⁴³ Unto him all the prophets give witness, that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins through his name.

⁴⁴ ¶ While Peter yet spoke these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word.

⁴⁵ And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, that also on the Gentiles the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out.

⁴⁶ For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,

⁴⁷ Can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?

⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they begged him to tarry certain days.