^aNow ¹Saul, still ^bbreathing ²threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for ^aletters from him to ^bthe synagogues in ^cDamascus, so that if he found any belonging to ^1dthe Way, whether men or women, he might bring them in shackles to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and ^asuddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and ^ahe fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and ^ait will be told to you what you must do.” 7 The men who traveled with him ^astood speechless, ^bhearing the ¹voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and ^athough his eyes were open, he ¹could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into ^bDamascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple in ^aDamascus named ^bAnanias; and the Lord said to him in ^ca vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from ^aTarsus named Saul, for he is praying, 12 and he has seen ¹in a vision a man named Ananias come in and ^alay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, ^ahow much harm he did to ^bYour ¹saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he ^ahas authority from the chief priests to ¹arrest all who ^bcall on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for ^ahe is a chosen ¹instrument of Mine, to bear My name before ^bthe Gentiles and ^ckings and the sons of Israel; 16 for ^aI will show him how much he must suffer in behalf of My name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after ^alaying his hands on him said, “^bBrother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be ^cfilled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like fish scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened.Saul Begins to Preach Christ

Now ^afor several days he was with ^bthe disciples who were in Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus ^ain the synagogues, ¹saying, “He is ^bthe Son of God.” 21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem ^adestroyed those who ^bcalled on this name, and had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the ¹Christ.

23 When ^amany days had elapsed, ^bthe Jews plotted together to do away with him, 24 but ^atheir plot became known to Saul. ^bThey were also closely watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

26 ^aWhen he came to Jerusalem, he tried repeatedly to associate with the disciples; and yet they were all afraid of him, as they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But ^aBarnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had ^bseen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how ^che had ^dspoken out boldly in the name of Jesus at Damascus. 28 And he was with them, ¹moving about freely in Jerusalem, ^aspeaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he was talking and arguing with the ^1aHellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. 30 Now when ^athe ¹brothers learned of it, they brought him down to ^bCaesarea and ^csent him away to ^dTarsus.

31 So ^athe church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria ¹enjoyed peace, as it was being built up; and as it ²continued in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it kept increasing.

32 Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he also came down to ^athe ¹saints who lived at ^2bLydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years, ¹because he was paralyzed. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your own bed.” Immediately he got up. 35 And all who lived at ^1aLydda and ^bSharon saw him, and they ^cturned to the Lord.

36 Now in ^aJoppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated means ¹Dorcas); this woman was ²excelling in acts of kindness and charity which she did habitually. 37 But it happened ¹at that time that she became sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an ^aupstairs room. 38 Since Lydda was near ^aJoppa, ^bthe disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Do not delay in coming to us.” 39 So Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the ^aroom upstairs; and all the ^bwidows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the ¹tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. 40 But Peter ^asent them all out and ^bknelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “^cTabitha, 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 ^athe ¹saints and ^bwidows, he presented her alive. 42 It became known all over ^aJoppa, and ^bmany believed in the Lord. 43 And Peter stayed in ^aJoppa many days with ^ba tanner named Simon.