Kisah 9
Saulus Bertobat
1 Saulus masih terus mengancam akan membunuh para pengikut Tuhan. Ia pergi kepada imam besar.2 Saulus meminta surat kuasa kepada imam besar untuk dibawa ke rumah-rumah pertemuant di Damsyik, supaya apabila ia menemukan pengikut-pengikut Jalan Tuhan, laki-laki atau perempuan, dia akan menangkap mereka dan membawanya kembali ke Yerusalem.3 Kemudian Saulus pergi ke Damsyik. Ketika Saulus sudah dekat ke kota itu, tiba-tiba cahaya dari langit menyinari sekelilingnya.4 Saulus terjatuh ke tanah. Ia mendengar suatu suara yang mengatakan kepadanya, "Saulus, Saulus, mengapa engkau menganiaya Aku?"
5 Kata Saulus, "Siapa Engkau, Tuhan?"
Suara itu menjawab, "Akulah Yesus, yang engkau aniaya.6 Berdirilah sekarang dan pergi ke kota itu. Di sana akan diberitahukan kepadamu, apa yang harus kaulakukan."7 Orang yang menemani dia berdiri di tempat itu, tidak mengatakan sesuatu apa pun. Mereka mendengar suara itu, tetapi mereka tidak melihat ada orang.8 Saulus berdiri. Dia membuka matanya, tetapi ia tidak dapat melihat apa-apa. Mereka menuntun dia ke Damsyik.9 Selama tiga hari Saulus tidak dapat melihat; ia sama sekali tidak makan atau minum.
10 Ada seorang pengikut Yesus di Damsyik yang bernama Ananias. Dalam sebuah penglihatan,t Tuhan mengatakan kepadanya, "Ananias."
Ananias menjawab, "Aku di sini, Tuhan."11 Tuhan berkata kepadanya, "Berdirilah dan pergi ke jalan yang bernama Jalan Lurus. Tanyalah di rumah Yudast seorang dari Tarsus yang bernama Saulus. Lihatlah, dia sedang berdoa di sana.12 Dalam sebuah penglihatan Saulus melihat seorang yang bernama Ananias datang kepadanya dan menumpangkan tangan kepadanya, supaya ia dapat melihat kembali."13 Ananias menjawab, "Tuhan, aku sudah mendengar dari banyak orang tentang dia. Aku mendengar tentang perlakuannya yang buruk terhadap umat-Mu di Yerusalem.14 Dan dia datang kemari dengan kuasa dari imam-imam kepala untuk menangkap semua orang yang percaya kepada-Mu."15 Tetapi Tuhan berkata kepadanya, "Pergilah. Sebab orang itu telah Kupilih untuk tugas penting. Dia harus memberitakan tentang Aku kepada raja-raja, kepada orang Yahudi, dan kepada bangsa-bangsa lain.16 Aku sendiri akan menunjukkan kepada Saulus semua yang harus dideritanya karena nama-Ku."17 Maka Ananias berangkat dan pergi ke rumah Yudas. Ia menumpangkan tangannya pada Saulus dan berkata, "Saudara Saulus, Tuhan mengutus aku — Yesus yang engkau lihat di perjalananmu kemari supaya engkau dapat melihat lagi dan dipenuhi Roh Kudus.t"18 Segera ada sesuatu, yang sama seperti sisik ikan jatuh dari mata Saulus, dan dia dapat melihat kembali. Ia berdiri, lalu dibaptis.19 Setelah itu ia makan dan dia merasa kuat kembali.
Saulus Mulai Memberitakan tentang Yesus
20 Kemudian dia pergi ke rumah-rumah pertemuant dan mulai memberitakan tentang Yesus. Katanya kepada orang banyak, "Yesus adalah Anak Allah."21 Semua orang yang mendengar dia heran dan mengatakan, "Bukankah ia orang yang mencoba membinasakan orang yang percaya kepada Yesus di Yerusalem? Bukankah ia datang kemari untuk menangkap pengikut-pengikut Yesus dan membawa mereka kepada imam-imam kepala?"22 Tetapi Saulus semakin berkuasa. Ia membuktikan bahwa Yesus adalah Kristust yang dijanjikan itu. Kesaksiannya sangat kuat sehingga orang Yahudi di Damsyik tidak dapat membantahnya.
Saulus Lolos dari Kejaran Orang Yahudi
23 Setelah beberapa hari berlalu, orang Yahudi merencanakan untuk membunuh Saulus,24 tetapi rencana mereka kemudian diketahui oleh Saulus. Mereka menjaga pintu gerbang kota siang dan malam supaya mereka dapat membunuhnya.25 Pada suatu malam, para pengikutnya menolong dia meninggalkan kota itu. Mereka memasukkannya ke dalam keranjang dan menurunkannya melalui tembok kota itu.
Saulus di Yerusalem
26 Ketika Saulus tiba di Yerusalem, ia mencoba bergabung dengan para pengikut, tetapi mereka semua takut kepadanya. Mereka tidak percaya bahwa ia telah menjadi pengikut Yesus.27 Tetapi Barnabas menerima dia dan membawanya kepada para rasul.t Barnabas menjelaskan kepada mereka tentang Saulus yang telah melihat Tuhan di jalan ke Damsyik. Dan Tuhan sudah berbicara kepadanya. Di Damsyik ia berbicara kepada orang banyak dengan berani untuk Tuhan.28 Jadi, Saulus pun bergabung dengan mereka. Ia keluar-masuk Yerusalem dengan bebas dan berbicara untuk Tuhan dengan berani.29 Ia berbicara dan berdebat dengan orang Yahudi yang berbahasa Yunani, tetapi mereka mencoba membunuhnya.30 Ketika hal itu didengar saudara-saudara seiman, mereka membawa Saulus ke Kaisarea, lalu menyuruh dia ke Tarsus.31 Jemaat-jemaat di seluruh Yudea, Galilea, dan Samaria berada dalam damai. Dengan pertolongan Roh Kudust kelompok orang percaya semakin kuat imannya. Mereka menunjukkan bahwa mereka menghormati Tuhan dengan cara hidup mereka. Oleh sebab itu, jumlah orang percaya semakin bertambah-tambah.
Petrus di Lida dan Yope
32 Petrus mengunjungi seluruh daerah. Ia pergi mengunjungi orang percaya di Lida.33 Di sana ia bertemu dengan seorang yang bernama Eneas, yang sudah terbaring di tempat tidur selama delapan tahun. Ia lumpuh.34 Petrus berkata kepadanya, "Eneas, Yesus Kristus menyembuhkan engkau. Berdirilah dan bereskan tempat tidurmu." Ia segera berdiri.35 Semua orang yang tinggal di Lida dan Saron melihat dia, dan mereka percaya kepada Tuhan.36 Di kota Yope tinggal seorang pengikut bernama Tabita — dalam bahasa Yunani disebut Dorkas, artinya "Kijang." Ia selalu berbuat baik dan menolong orang miskin.37 Pada waktu itu, ia jatuh sakit dan meninggal. Mereka memandikan mayatnya dan menempatkan dia di sebuah ruangan atas.38 Lida dekat Yope. Ketika para pengikut Yesus mendengar Petrus berada di Lida, mereka mengutus dua orang. Mereka membujuk Petrus, katanya, "Datanglah segera."39 Petrus menyiapkan diri, lalu ikut dengan mereka. Ketika ia tiba, mereka mengantarnya ke ruangan atas. Semua janda-janda berdiri mengelilingi Petrus. Mereka menangis dan memperlihatkan kepada Petrus baju dan pakaian yang dibuat Dorkas bagi mereka ketika ia masih hidup.40 Petrus menyuruh semua orang keluar ruangan, lalu ia berlutut dan berdoa. Kemudian dia berpaling kepada mayat itu, katanya, "Tabita, berdirilah." Perempuan itu membuka matanya, dan ketika melihat Petrus, ia duduk.41 Petrus mengulurkan tangannya dan membantu Dorkas berdiri. Kemudian Petrus memanggil orang percaya dan para janda, dan memperlihatkan kepada mereka Dorkas yang telah hidup kembali.42 Peristiwa itu diketahui orang di seluruh Yope, dan banyak orang menjadi percaya kepada Tuhan.43 Petrus tinggal di Yope beberapa hari bersama seorang yang bernama Simon, seorang penyamak kulit.
Acts 9
The Conversion of Saul
1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do."7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord."11 And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,12 and he has seen tin a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight."13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem;14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name."15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen tinstrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;
19 and he took food and was strengthened.
Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,
Saul Begins to Preach Christ
20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, "Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?"22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
23 When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him,24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death;25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.27 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.28 And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.29 And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death.30 But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.
Peter's Ministry
32 Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed.34 Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed." Immediately he got up.35 And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.37 And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room.38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, "Do not delay in coming to us."39 So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the ttunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them.40 But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.42 It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.43 And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.