| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. | 1Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats to murder the Lord's disciples, went to the high priest |
| 2He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. | 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 was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down 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 saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting 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. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! | 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 with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! | 7(Now the men who were traveling with him stood there speechless, because they heard the voice but saw no one.) |
| 8Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to 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. |
| 9He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. | 9For three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything. |
| 10Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied. | 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 said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. | 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, |
| 12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.” | 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“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers 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 is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.” | 14and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call on your name!" |
| 15But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as 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. |
| 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.” | 16For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." |
| 17So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight 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." |
| 18Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then 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, |
| 19Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. | 19and after taking some food, his strength returned. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, |
| 20And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!” | 20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "This man is the Son of God." |
| 21All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading 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?" |
| 22Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed 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 a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him. | 23Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted together to kill him, |
| 24They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot. | 24but Saul learned of their plot against him. They were also watching the city gates day and night so that they could kill him. |
| 25So during the night, some of the other believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city 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 Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! | 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. |
| 27Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. | 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 the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching 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 debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him. | 29He was speaking and debating with the Greek-speaking Jews, but they were trying to kill him. |
| 30When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown. | 30When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. |
| 31The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers. Peter Heals Aeneas and Raises Dorcas | 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. |
| 32Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. | 32Now as Peter was traveling around from place to place, he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. |
| 33There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and 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. |
| 34Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. | 34Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Get up and make your own bed!" And immediately he got up. |
| 35Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord. | 35All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. |
| 36There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas ). She was always doing kind things for others 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 this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid 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. |
| 38But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!” | 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." |
| 39So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for 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. |
| 40But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw 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 gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he 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. |
| 42The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. | 42This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. |
| 43And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a tanner of hides. | 43So Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a man named Simon, a tanner. |
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