Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

While Saul Is Going To Damascus To Persecute Believers, Jesus Appears To Him

9 Now Saul, still breathing threat and murder against the disciples of the Lord, having gone to the high priest, ² asked-for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus so that if he found any being of the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ And during the proceeding, it came about that he was drawing-near to Damascus. And suddenly a light from heaven flashed-around him. ⁴ And having fallen on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ⁵ And he said, “Who are You, sir^[a]?” And the One said, “I am Jesus Whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But arise and enter into the city, and it will be told you what thing you must do”.

⁷ And the men traveling-with him were standing speechless^[a], hearing the voice^[b] but seeing no one. ⁸ And Saul was raised^[c] from the ground. And his eyes having been opened, he was seeing nothing. And hand-leading him, they brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was not seeing for three days. And he did not eat nor drink.

God Tells Ananias To Go Give Saul His Sight, For He Is God’s Chosen Instrument

¹⁰ Now a certain disciple was in Damascus— Ananias by name. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias”. And the one said, “Behold, I am here, Lord”. ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, “Having arisen, go on the lane being called ‘Straight’, and seek one-from-Tarsus, Saul by name, in the house of Judas. For behold— he is praying. ¹² And he saw a man in a vision, Ananias by name, having come in and laid hands on him so that he might see-again”. ¹³ And Ananias responded, “Lord, I heard about this man from many— how many bad things he did to Your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all the ones calling-upon Your name”. ¹⁵ And the Lord said to him, “Go, because this one is a chosen instrument^[d] for Me— that he might carry My name before both Gentiles and kings, and sons of Israel. ¹⁶ For I will show him how-many things he must suffer for My name”. ¹⁷ And Ananias departed, and entered into the house. And having laid his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord has sent me forth— Jesus, the One having appeared to you on the road on which you were coming— so that you may see-again and be filled with the Holy Spirit”. ¹⁸ And immediately something like scales^[e] fell from his eyes. And he saw-again^[f], and having arisen, was baptized. ¹⁹ And having taken food, he strengthened.

Saul Begins Proclaiming Christ In Damascus. He Escapes a Plot To Kill Him

Now he came-to-be with the disciples in Damascus for some days. ²⁰ And immediately he was proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues— that this One is the Son of God.

¹¹ And I saw, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and of the living-creatures, and of the elders— and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands— ¹² saying with a loud voice “Worthy is the Lamb having been slain to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing”. ¹³ And I heard every creature which is in the heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and^[a] all the things in them, saying “To the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the dominion forever and ever”. ¹⁴ And the four living-creatures were saying “amen”. And the elders fell and worshiped.

Later, Jesus Meets The Disciples By The Sea of Galilee

21 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias^[a]. And He manifested Himself as follows: ² Simon Peter, and Thomas (the one being called Didymus), and Nathanael (the one from Cana of Galilee), and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples were together. ³ Simon Peter says to them, “I am going to fish”. They say to him, “We are also coming with you”. They went out and got into the boat. And during that night they caught nothing. ⁴ Now having already become early-morning, Jesus stood at the shore. But the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ So Jesus says to them, “Children^[b], you do not have any fish-to-eat, do you?” They answered Him, “No”. ⁶ And the One said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat and you will find them”. So they cast it, and they were no longer strong-enough to draw it [into the boat] because of the multitude of the fish. ⁷ Then that disciple whom Jesus was loving says to Peter, “It is the Lord”. So Simon Peter, having heard that it was the Lord, tied his outer-garment around himself (for he was naked^[c]), and threw himself into the sea. ⁸ But the other disciples came in the small-boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two-hundred cubits^[d] away)— dragging the net of fish. ⁹ Then when they got out to the land, they see a charcoal-fire lying there, and fish lying upon it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus says to them, “Bring from the fish which you now caught”. ¹¹ So Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish— a hundred fifty three. And though being so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus says to them, “Come, eat-breakfast”. And none of the disciples was daring to question Him, “Who are You?”, knowing that it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus comes and takes the bread and gives it to them, and the fish likewise. ¹⁴ This is now the third^[e] time Jesus was manifested to the disciples after having arisen from the dead.

At Breakfast, Jesus Restores Peter. Do You Love Me? Feed My Sheep

¹⁵ Then when they ate-breakfast, Jesus says to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you devotedly-love^[f] Me more than these^[g]?” He says to Him, “Yes, Lord. You know that I affectionately-love You”. He says to him, “Be feeding My lambs”. ¹⁶ He says to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you devotedly-love Me?” He says to Him, “Yes, Lord. You know that I affectionately-love You”. He says to him, “Be shepherding My sheep”. ¹⁷ He says to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you affectionately-love Me?” Peter was grieved because^[h] He said to him the third time, “Do you affectionately-love Me?”. And he says to Him, “Lord, You know all things. You recognize^[i] that I affectionately-love You”. Jesus says to him, “Be feeding My sheep. ¹⁸ Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger you were girding^[j] yourself and walking where you were wanting to go. But when you become-old^[k], you will stretch-out your hands and another will gird you and^[l] bring you where you are not wanting to go”. ¹⁹ Now this He said signifying by what kind^[m] of death he will glorify God. And having said this, He says to him, “Be following Me!”