| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest | 1Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats to murder the Lord's disciples, went to the high priest |
| 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. | 2and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. |
| 3As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. | 3As he was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. |
| 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" | 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" |
| 5"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. | 5So he said, "Who are you, Lord?" He replied, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! |
| 6"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." | 6But stand up and enter the city and you will be told what you must do." |
| 7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. | 7(Now the men who were traveling with him stood there speechless, because they heard the voice but saw no one.) |
| 8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. | 8So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, he could see nothing. Leading him by the hand, his companions brought him into Damascus. |
| 9For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. | 9For three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything. |
| 10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. | 10Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias," and he replied, "Here I am, Lord." |
| 11The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. | 11Then the Lord told him, "Get up and go to the street called 'Straight,' and at Judas' house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying, |
| 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." | 12and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again." |
| 13"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. | 13But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, |
| 14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." | 14and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call on your name!" |
| 15But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. | 15But the Lord said to him, "Go, because this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. |
| 16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." | 16For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." |
| 17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." | 17So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." |
| 18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, | 18Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, |
| 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. | 19and after taking some food, his strength returned. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, |
| 20At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. | 20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "This man is the Son of God." |
| 21All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" | 21All who heard him were amazed and were saying, "Is this not the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners to the chief priests?" |
| 22Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. | 22But Saul became more and more capable, and was causing consternation among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. |
| 23After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, | 23Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted together to kill him, |
| 24but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. | 24but Saul learned of their plot against him. They were also watching the city gates day and night so that they could kill him. |
| 25But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. | 25But his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening in the wall by lowering him in a basket. |
| 26When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. | 26When he arrived in Jerusalem, he attempted to associate with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe that he was a disciple. |
| 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. | 27But Barnabas took Saul, brought him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. |
| 28So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. | 28So he was staying with them, associating openly with them in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. |
| 29He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. | 29He was speaking and debating with the Greek-speaking Jews, but they were trying to kill him. |
| 30When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. | 30When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. |
| 31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. | 31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced peace and thus was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church increased in numbers. |
| 32As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord's people who lived in Lydda. | 32Now as Peter was traveling around from place to place, he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. |
| 33There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. | 33He found there a man named Aeneas who had been confined to a mattress for eight years because he was paralyzed. |
| 34"Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. | 34Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Get up and make your own bed!" And immediately he got up. |
| 35All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. | 35All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. |
| 36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. | 36Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means Dorcas). She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity. |
| 37About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. | 37At that time she became sick and died. When they had washed her body, they placed it in an upstairs room. |
| 38Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" | 38Because Lydda was near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Come to us without delay." |
| 39Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. | 39So Peter got up and went with them, and when he arrived they brought him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him the tunics and other clothing Dorcas used to make while she was with them. |
| 40Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. | 40But Peter sent them all outside, knelt down, and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, get up." Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. |
| 41He 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. | 41He gave her his hand and helped her get up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive. |
| 42This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. | 42This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. |
| 43Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. | 43So Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a man named Simon, a tanner. |
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