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HANDELINGE 9

Jesus die Here gryp magtig in Saulus se lewe in

1 Intussen het Saulus met elke asemteug dreigemente uitgespreek. Hy wou die volgelinge van die Here doodmaak, en het daarom na die hoofpriester toe gegaan.

2 Hy het briewe van hom aan die sinagoges in Damaskus gevra waarin hulle versoek word om hom te help om dié wat aan "Die Pad" behoort, mans én vroue, op te spoor, en hulle geboei na Jerusalem toe te bring.
3 Toe hy op sy sending naby Damaskus kom, het daar skielik 'n lig uit die hemel hom omstraal!

4 Hy het op die grond neergeval en 'n stem vir hom hoor sê: "Saul, Saul, waarom vervolg jy My?"

5 "Wie is U, Here?" het hy toe gevra.
"Ek is Jesus," antwoord Hy. "Dis vir Mý wat jy vervolg!

6 Staan nou op en gaan die stad in. Dáár sal vir jou gesê word wat jou te doen staan."
7 Die mans saam met hom was sprakeloos van verbasing, want hulle het iemand se stem gehoor, maar niemand gesien nie.8 Saulus het van die grond af opgestaan en alhoewel sy oë oop was, kon hy niks sien nie. Hulle is Damaskus in terwyl sy reisgenote hom aan die hand lei.

9 Hy was drie dae lank daar sonder om te sien, en hy het ook niks geëet of gedrink nie.
10 Daar was 'n gelowige in Damaskus met die naam Ananias. Die Here het hom in 'n gesig geroep: "Ananias!"
"Ja, Here!" het hy geantwoord.
11 Daarop sê die Here vir hom: "Gaan nóú Reguitstraat toe, na Judas se huis. Vra daar na Saulus van Tarsus. Want kyk, hy is besig om te bid.

12 Ek het hom in 'n gesig laat sien dat 'n man met die naam Ananias inkom en sy hande op hom sit sodat hy weer kan sien."
13 Maar Ananias het geantwoord: "Here, ek het al by baie mense van hierdie man gehoor - watter kwaad hy die gelowiges in Jerusalem aangedoen het!

14 En ons hoor hy het 'n mandaat van die priesterhoofde om al die gelowiges hier in Damaskus te arresteer."
15 Die Here het egter vir hom gesê: "Gaan doen wat Ek sê, want Ek het Saulus as my instrument uitgekies om my boodskap uit te dra na volke en konings, en ook aan die volk Israel.

16 Ek sal inderdaad self vir hom wys hoeveel hy vir My moet ly."
17 Ananias het toe vertrek en in daardie huis ingegaan. Hy het sy hande op Saulus gesit en gesê: "Broer Saul, die Here het my gestuur, Jesus wat aan jou verskyn het op pad hierheen. Hy het my gestuur sodat jy weer kan sien en met die Heilige Gees vervul kan word."18 Onmiddellik het iets soos skille van Saulus se oë afgeval en hy kon weer sien. Hy het opgestaan en is gedoop.

19 Hy het toe kos geëet en sy kragte begin herwin.
Saulus het 'n paar dae by die gelowiges in Damaskus gebly.

Saulus verkondig die Goeie Nuus in Damaskus

20 Hy het Jesus dadelik in die sinagoges begin verkondig - dat Hy die Seun van God is.

21 Almal wat hom gehoor het, was verbaas en het gesê: "Is dit nie dié man wat Jesus se volgelinge in Jerusalem getreiter het nie? Dis mos presies waarvoor hy hierheen gekom het: om hulle geboei voor die priesterhoofde te bring!"
22 Saulus se prediking het al hoe kragtiger geword en het die Damaskus-Jode in die war gebring deur te bewys dat Jesus die Christus is.23 Na etlike dae het dié Jode saamgesweer om Saulus te vermoor.24 Hulle komplot het egter aan Saulus uitgelek. Dag en nag het hulle die stad se poorte dopgehou om hom te vermoor.

25 Maar sy volgelinge het hom in 'n mandjie deur 'n opening in die stadsmuur laat afsak.

Saulus tree in Jerusalem op

26 Toe Saulus in Jerusalem aankom, het hy probeer om by die gelowiges aan te sluit, maar almal was bang vir hom. Hulle kon nie glo dat hy 'n gelowige is nie.27 Barnabas het hom toe na die apostels toe gevat, en vir hulle vertel hoe Saulus op pad na Damaskus die Here gesien het. Barnabas het ook vertel dat die Here met Saulus gepraat het, en hoe hy in Damaskus openlik in die Naam van Jesus gepreek het.28 Saulus het toe oral in Jerusalem saam met hulle rondgegaan en openlik in die Naam van die Here gepreek.29 Hy het ook met Griekssprekende Jode gepraat en met hulle geredeneer, maar hulle het planne beraam om hom te vermoor.30 Toe die gelowiges dit agterkom, het hulle hom Sesarea toe gevat en hom van daar na Tarsus toe weggestuur.

31 Die kerk het deur die hele Judea, Galilea en Samaria vrede gehad. Die gelowiges is opgebou en het in ontsag vir die Here geleef, en hulle is deur die Heilige Gees versterk. Op hierdie manier het hulle getalle aangegroei.

Eneas word gesond gemaak

32 Petrus het van plek tot plek gereis en het op 'n keer ook by die gelowiges in die dorp Lidda gekom.33 Daar het hy 'n man met die naam Eneas gekry wat verlam en al agt jaar bedlêend was.34 "Eneas," het Petrus toe vir hom gesê, "Jesus Christus maak jou gesond! Staan en rol jou bed op!" En hy het dadelik opgestaan.

35 Al die inwoners van Lidda en die Saronvlakte het hulle tot die Here bekeer toe hulle Eneas sien rondgaan.

Tabita word opgewek

36 In Joppe was daar 'n gelowige vrou met die naam Tabita (in Grieks is sy "Dorkas"). Sy was altyd besig om aan ander goed te doen en armes te help.37 Juis in dié tyd het sy siek geword en is sy dood. Hulle het haar liggaam vir die begrafnis voorberei, en in 'n bokamer neergelê.

38 Met Lidda naby Joppe het die gelowiges gehoor dat Petrus daar is. Hulle het toe twee mans na hom toe gestuur met die versoek: "Kom asseblief sonder uitstel na ons toe!"
39 Petrus is dadelik saam met hulle terug. Toe hy daar kom, het hulle hom bokamer toe gevat. Al die weduwees het by hom kom staan en snikkend vir hom die verskillende soorte klere gewys wat Dorkas gemaak het toe sy nog by hulle was.40 Petrus het almal egter uitgestuur, en toe het hy gekniel en gebid. Hy het na die liggaam toe gedraai en gesê: "Tabita, staan op!" Sy het haar oë oopgemaak! Toe sy Petrus sien, het sy regop gesit.

41 Hy het haar sy hand gegee en haar help opstaan. Toe het hy die gelowiges en die weduwees geroep, en hulle gewys sy leef.
42 Dié gebeure het in die hele Joppe bekend geword, en baie het tot geloof in die Here gekom.

43 Petrus het 'n hele aantal dae in Joppe gebly by 'n sekere Simon, 'n leerlooier.

ACTS 9

Saul Becomes a Follower //of the Lord

(Acts 22.6-16; 26.12-18)

1 Saul kept on threatening to kill the Lord's followers. He even went to the high priest 2 and asked for letters to the leaders of the synagogues in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord's Way.t 3 When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him.

4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?”

5 “Who are you?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus,” the Lord answered. “I am the one you are so cruel to.

6 Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.”
7  t The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus,

9 and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.

10 A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, “Lord, here I am.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. When you get there, you will find a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. Saul is praying,

12 and he has seen a vision. He saw a man named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him, so he could see again.”
13 Ananias replied, “Lord, a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done to your followers in Jerusalem.

14 Now the chief priests have given him the power to come here and arrest anyone who worships in your name.”
15 The Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me.

16 I will show him how much he must suffer for worshiping in my name.”

17 Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, “Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18  t Suddenly something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see. He got up and was baptized.

19 Then he ate and felt much better.

Saul Preaches in Damascus


For several days Saul stayed with the Lord's followers in Damascus. 20 Soon he went to the synagogues and started telling people that Jesus is the Son of God.

21 Everyone who heard Saul was amazed and said, “Isn't this the man who caused so much trouble for those people in Jerusalem who worship in the name of Jesus? Didn't he come here to arrest them and take them to the chief priests?”

22 Saul preached with such power that he completely confused the Jewish people in Damascus, as he tried to show them that Jesus is the Messiah.
23  t Later some of them made plans to kill Saul, 24 but he found out about it. He learned that they were guarding the gates of the city day and night in order to kill him.

25 Then one night his followers let him down over the city wall in a large basket.

Saul in Jerusalem


26 When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the followers. But they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe he was a true follower.

27 Then Barnabas helped him by taking him to the apostles. He explained how Saul had seen the Lord and how the Lord had spoken to him. Barnabas also said when Saul was in Damascus, he had spoken bravely in the name of Jesus.
28 Saul moved about freely with the followers in Jerusalem and told everyone about the Lord. 29 He was always arguing with the Jews who spoke Greek, and so they tried to kill him.

30 But the followers found out about this and took Saul to Caesarea. From there they sent him to the city of Tarsus.

31 The church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria now had a time of peace and kept on worshiping the Lord. The church became stronger, as the Holy Spirit encouraged it and helped it grow.

Peter Heals Aeneas


32 While Peter was traveling from place to place, he visited the Lord's followers who lived in the town of Lydda. 33 There he met a man named Aeneas, who for eight years had been sick in bed and could not move.

34 Peter said to Aeneas, “Jesus Christ has healed you! Get up and make up your bed.”t At once he stood up.

35 Many people in the towns of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas and became followers of the Lord.

Peter Brings Dorcas //Back to Life


36 In Joppa there was a follower named Tabitha. Her Greek name was Dorcas, which means “deer.” She was always doing good things for people and had given much to the poor. 37 But she got sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Joppa wasn't far from Lydda, and the followers heard that Peter was there. They sent two men to say to him, “Please come with us as quickly as you can!”

39 At once, Peter went with them.
The men took Peter upstairs into the room. Many widows were there crying. They showed him the coats and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was still alive.
40 After Peter had sent everyone out of the room, he knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the body of Dorcas and said, “Tabitha, get up!” The woman opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet.
Peter called in the widows and the other followers and showed them that Dorcas had been raised from death. 42 Everyone in Joppa heard what had happened, and many of them put their faith in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed on for a while in Joppa in the house of a man named Simon, who made leather.