Apostlenes gjerninger 9

Saulus ved Damaskus

1 Saulus raste fremdeles mot Herrens disipler og truet dem på livet. Han gikk til øverstepresten t 2 og bad om brev til synagogene i Damaskus med fullmakt til å føre alle han fant som hørte til «veien», i lenker til Jerusalem, både menn og kvinner. t 3 Da han var underveis og nærmet seg Damaskus, strålte plutselig et lys fra himmelen omkring ham. 4 Han falt til jorden og hørte en røst si til ham: «Saul, Saul, hvorfor forfølger du meg?» 5 Han spurte: «Hvem er du, Herre?» Og svaret lød: «Jeg er Jesus, han som du forfølger. t 6 Men reis deg nå og gå inn i byen. Der skal det bli sagt deg hva du skal gjøre.» 7 Mennene som fulgte ham, stod der målløse; de hørte røsten, men så ingen. t 8 Saulus reiste seg opp, men da han åpnet øynene, kunne han ikke se. De måtte ta ham i hånden og leie ham inn til Damaskus.

9 I tre dager satt han der blind, og han verken spiste eller drakk.
10 I Damaskus bodde en disippel som hette Ananias. Herren kalte på ham i et syn: «Ananias!» Han svarte: «Her er jeg, Herre.» 11 Og Herren sa: «Gå bort i den gaten som kalles Den rette, og i huset hvor Judas bor, skal du spørre etter Saulus fra Tarsus. For han ber. t 12 Og han har hatt et syn og sett en mann som heter Ananias komme og legge hendene på ham, så han kan få synet igjen.» t 13 Men Ananias svarte: «Herre, jeg har hørt mange fortelle om denne mannen og alt det onde han har gjort mot dine hellige i Jerusalem. 14 Og han er kommet hit med fullmakt fra overprestene for å fengsle alle som påkaller ditt navn.» t 15 Men Herren sa til ham: «Du skal gå. For jeg har utvalgt ham som mitt redskap til å bære mitt navn fram for folkeslag og konger og for Israels folk. t 16 Og jeg skal vise ham alt han må lide for mitt navns skyld.» t 17 Da gikk Ananias, og han kom inn i huset, la sine hender på ham og sa: «Saul, min bror! Herren har sendt meg, Jesus som viste seg for deg på veien hit; han vil at du skal få synet igjen og bli fylt av Den Hellige Ånd.» 18 Straks var det som om skjell falt fra øynene hans, og han kunne se. Han gjorde seg klar og ble døpt.

19 Så spiste han og kom til krefter.
Han ble noen dager hos disiplene i Damaskus, 20 hvor han straks forkynte Jesus i synagogene og sa: «Han er Guds Sønn.» t 21 Alle som hørte på, ble meget forundret og sa: «Er det ikke han som i Jerusalem ville utrydde alle som påkaller dette navn? Kom han ikke hit for å arrestere dem og føre dem til overprestene?»

22 Men Saulus fikk stadig større kraft, og han brakte jødene i Damaskus ut av fatning ved å vise klart at Jesus er Messias.t
23 Etter en tid la jødene planer om å drepe ham. 24 Men Saulus fikk høre om dette. Døgnet rundt holdt de vakt, også ved byportene, for å få slått ham i hjel. t

25 Men en natt fikk hans disipler ham ut ved å fire ham ned langs muren i en kurv.

Saulus i Jerusalem

30 Da brødrene fikk vite det, brakte de ham til Cæsarea og sendte ham videre til Tarsus.t

31 Menigheten hadde nå fred over hele Judea og Galilea og Samaria. Den ble bygd opp og levde i ærefrykt for Herren, og den vokste, styrket av Den Hellige Ånd.t

Peter gjør under

35 Alle som bodde i Lod og Saron, så ham, og de vendte om til Herren.
36 I Jaffa bodde en kvinnelig disippel som hette Tabita, på gresk Dorkas. Hun gjorde mye godt og tok seg av de fattige. 37 Men nettopp på denne tiden ble hun syk og døde. De hadde vasket henne og lagt henne i et rom ovenpå. 38 Lod ligger i nærheten av Jaffa, og disiplene fikk høre at Peter oppholdt seg der. De sendte da to menn av sted for å be ham komme til dem med en eneste gang. 39 Peter gjorde seg klar og ble med dem. Da han kom fram, førte de ham ovenpå, der alle enkene samlet seg gråtende rundt ham. De viste fram skjortene og kappene Dorkas hadde sydd mens hun ennå var blant dem. 40 Peter sendte alle ut, knelte ned og bad. Så snudde han seg mot den døde og sa: «Tabita, reis deg!» Hun åpnet øynene, så på Peter og satte seg opp. t 41 Han rakte henne hånden og hjalp henne opp. Så kalte han de hellige og enkene inn og viste henne fram for dem lys levende. t 42 Dette ble kjent over hele Jaffa, og mange kom til tro på Herren. 43 Peter ble boende ganske lenge i Jaffa hos en mann som hette Simon og var garver.t

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