Gerninger 9

Saul bliver standset af Jesus

1 Saul var stadig fuld af had til Herrens disciple. Han levede og åndede kun for at få dem alle sammen udryddet. Han opsøgte ypperstepræsten i Jerusalem

2 og bad om at få nogle breve med til synagogerne i Damaskus, så han kunne arrestere dem, som holdt sig til Vejen ,t både mænd og kvinder, og bringe dem til Jerusalem som fanger.
3 Kort før han nåede frem til Damaskus, blev han pludselig omsluttet og blændet af et stærkt lys fra himlen.

4 Han faldt på knæ med ansigtet mod jorden og hørte en stemme, der sagde: Saul, Saul, hvorfor forfølger du mig?

5 Hvem er du, Herre? spurgte han.

6 Men rejs dig nu op og gå ind i byen. Dér vil du få at vide, hvad du skal gøre.
7 De mænd, der var sammen med Saul, stod målløse. De kunne høre, at der var en, der talte til Saul, men de kunne ikke se nogen.8 Saul rejste sig langsomt op, men da han åbnede øjnene igen, kunne han intet se. Hans ledsagere tog ham ved hånden og førte ham ind til Damaskus.

9 I de næste tre dage kunne han intet se, og han hverken spiste eller drak noget i den tid.
10 I Damaskus boede der en discipel, som hed Ananias. Til ham sagde Herren i et syn: Ananias! Ja, Herre, svarede han.11 Gå hen i Den Lige Gade. Find frem til det hus, der tilhører en mand ved navn Judas, og spørg efter Saul fra Tarsos. Han er ved at bede,

12 og han har i et syn set en mand ved navn Ananias komme ind til ham og lægge hænderne på ham, for at han kan få sit syn igen.
13 Jamen, Herre, udbrød Ananias, jeg har hørt så mange fortælle om alle de frygtelige ting, han har gjort mod de troende i Jerusalem.

14 Det siges, at han nu har fået fuldmagt fra ypperstepræsterne, så han kan arrestere alle, der tror på dig.
15 Gør det nu alligevel, sagde Herren, for jeg har udvalgt ham til at forkynde mit budskab både for Israels folk og for andre folkeslag, endog for konger.

16 Jeg vil vise ham, hvor meget han skal komme til at gå igennem for min skyld.
17 Så gik Ananias hen og fandt Saul, lagde hænderne på ham og sagde: Bror Saul! Herren Jesus, som åbenbarede sig for dig på vejen hertil, har sendt mig, for at du skal få dit syn igen og blive fyldt af Helligånden.18 Straks faldt der noget ligesom skæl fra Sauls øjne, og han kunne se igen, hvorefter han rejste sig og blev døbt.

19 Så spiste han igen og kom hurtigt til kræfter.

Saul i Damaskus

20 og i synagogerne begyndte han straks at forkynde, at Jesus virkelig er Guds Søn.

21 Alle, der hørte ham, blev meget forbavsede og spurgte hinanden: Er det ikke den mand, som i Jerusalem bekæmpede de mennesker, som tror på Jesus? Kom han ikke netop hertil i samme ærinde for at arrestere dem og føre dem som fanger til ypperstepræsten?

22 Som Saul fik stadig større kraft og indsigt, kunne jøderne i Damaskus ikke klare sig imod ham, når han ud fra Skrifterne beviste, at Jesus virkelig er den ventede Messias.
23 Efter nogen tid besluttede de jødiske ledere at slå ham ihjel.24 Men Saul blev underrettet om deres planer. Dag og nat holdt man vagt ved byens porte for at få ram på ham.

25 Derfor hjalp nogle af hans disciple ham en nat ud af byen, idet de firede ham ned i en kurv gennem en åbning i bymuren.

Saul i Jerusalem og Tarsos

26 Da Saul senere kom til Jerusalem, prøvede han at komme i forbindelse med de Jesus troende dér, men de var bange for ham. De troede ikke på, at han virkelig var en discipel.27 Men Barnabas tog sig af ham og førte ham til apostlene. Han forklarede dem, hvordan Saul på sin rejse havde set Herren, og hvad Herren havde sagt til ham. Han fortalte også, at Saul med stor frimodighed havde forkyndt om Jesus i Damaskus.28 Fra da af kunne han færdes frit blandt de troende i Jerusalem. Han forkyndte ivrigt budskabet om Jesus.29 Men så kom han til at diskutere med nogle græsktalende jøder, og de lagde planer om at slå ham ihjel.30 Da menighedens ledere blev klar over, hvilken fare han befandt sig i, eskorterede de ham til havnebyen Cæsarea, hvorfra de sendte ham med skib til hans hjemby, Tarsos.

31 Derefter havde menighederne i hele Judæa, Galilæa og Samaria en rolig periode. De levede gudfrygtigt til Herrens ære og voksede under Helligåndens vejledning.

Peter udfører to store mirakler

32 Peter rejste meget omkring, og han var engang på besøg i menigheden i Lydda.33 I den by traf han en mand ved navn Æneas, der var lam og havde været sengeliggende i otte år.34 Peter sagde til ham: Æneas! Jesus Messias helbreder dig! Stå op og red din seng! Og han stod ud af sengen med det samme.

35 Da folk i Lydda og på Saronsletten så Æneas gå rask og rørig omkring, kom mange af dem til tro på Herren.
36 I Joppe var der en discipel ved navn Tabita (det betyder gazelle ). Hun var altid parat til at give en håndsrækning - også økonomisk.37 Men så blev hun pludselig syg og døde. Hendes venner gjorde hende i stand til begravelsen og lagde hende i et rum på første sal.38 Joppe ligger ikke langt fra Lydda, så da disciplene hørte, at Peter var i Lydda, sendte de to mænd af sted for at bede ham om at komme hurtigst muligt.39 Han tog straks med dem, og så snart de kom til Joppe, førte de ham op til rummet ovenpå. De mange enker, der var samlet dér, kom grædende hen til ham og viste ham de kjortler og andre klædningsstykker, som Tabita havde syet til dem.40 Peter bad dem alle om at gå udenfor, hvorefter han knælede ned og bad. Så vendte han sig mod den døde og sagde: Tabita, rejs dig op! Hun slog øjnene op, og da hun så Peter, satte hun sig op.41 Han gav hende hånden og hjalp hende op at stå. Så kaldte han på enkerne og alle de troende, for at de skulle komme ind og se, at hun nu var i live.42 Beretningen om det mirakel spredtes som en løbeild gennem byen, og mange kom til tro på Herren.

43 Peter blev boende i Joppe et stykke tid hos en garver, der hed Simon.

Acts 9

The Conversion of Saul

1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threatst to murdert the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest2 and requested letters from him to the synagoguess in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way,s either men or women, he could bring them as prisonerst to Jerusalem.ss3 As he was going along, approachingt Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashedt around him.4 Het fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul,t why are you persecuting me?”s5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting!6 But stand upt and enter the city and you will be toldt what you must do.”7 (Now the ment who were traveling with him stood there speechless,t because they heard the voice but saw no one.)s8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open,t he could see nothing.s Leading him by the hand, his companionst brought him into Damascus.

9 Fort three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything.t
10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. Thet Lords said to him in a vision, “Ananias,” and he replied, “Here I am,t Lord.”11 Then the Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’s and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying,12 and he has seen in a visionss a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again.”13 But Ananias replied,s “Lord, I have heard from many peoplet about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem,14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprisont all who call on your name!”s15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrumentt to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel.t16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”t17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, placedt his hands on Sault and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here,t has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”s18 Immediatelyt something like scalest fell from his eyes, and he could see again. Het got up and was baptized,

19 and after taking some food, his strength returned.
For several dayst he was with the disciples in Damascus,20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,s saying, “This man is the Son of God.”ts21 Allt who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this nott the man who in Jerusalem was ravagingt those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisonerst to the chief priests?”

22 But Saul became more and more capable,t and was causing consternationt among the Jews who lived in Damascus by provingt that Jesust is the Christ.ts

Saul’s Escape from Damascus

23 Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotteds together to kill him,24 but Saul learned of their plot against him.t They were also watchingt the city gatest day and night so that they could kill him.

25 But his disciples took him at night and let him down through an openingt in the wall by lowering him in a basket.t

Saul Returns to Jerusalem

26 When he arrived in Jerusalem,s he attempted to associatet with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believet that he was a disciple.27 But Barnabas tookt Saul,t broughtt him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, thatt the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldlyt in the name of Jesus.28 So he was staying with them, associating openly with themt in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.29 He was speaking and debatingt with the Greek-speaking Jews,t but they were trying to kill him.

30 When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesareass and sent him away to Tarsus.

31 Thent the church throughout Judea, Galilee,t and Samaria experiencedt peace and thus was strengthened.t Livingt in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the churcht increased in numbers.

Peter Heals Aeneas

32 Nowt as Peter was traveling around from place to place,t he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda.s33 He found there a man named Aeneas who had been confined to a mattress for eight years becauset he was paralyzed.34 Petert said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christst heals you. Get up and make your own bed!”t And immediately he got up.

35 Allt those who lived in Lyddas and Sharons saw him, and theyt turneds to the Lord.

Peter Raises Dorcas

36 Now in Joppas there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation meanst Dorcas).s She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity.t37 At that timet she became sickt and died. When they had washedt her body,t they placed it in an upstairs room.38 Because Lyddas 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.”t39 So Peter got up and went with them, andt when he arrivedt they brought him to the upper room. Allt the widows stood beside him, crying and showing himt the tunicst and other clothingt Dorcas used to maket while she was with them.40 But Peter sent them all outside,t knelt down,t and prayed. Turningt to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.s41 He gavet her his hand and helped her get up. Then he calledt the saints and widows and presented her alive.42 This became known throughout allt Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.s

43 Sot Petert stayed many days in Joppa with a man namedt Simon, a tanner.t