Acts 9
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 9
Conversion of Saul on the Road to Damascus.[a] 1 Now, Saul,[b] still breathing threats and violence against the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,[c] authorizing him to arrest any men or women there who were followers of the Way and bring them back to Jerusalem.
3 While he was drawing near Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from the sky flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you have to do.”
7 The men who were traveling with him stood there speechless, for they had heard the voice but had seen no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was unable to see. Therefore, they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days, he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.
10 Saul’s Baptism. There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. In a vision, the Lord said to him, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the Street called Straight,[d] to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying, 12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.”
13 Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and how much harm he has done to your saints[e] in Jerusalem. 14 Now he has come here with authority from the chief priests to imprison all who invoke your name.”
15 However, the Lord said to him, “Go, for this is the man I have chosen as a vessel to bring my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I myself will show him how much he will have to suffer for the sake of my name.”
17 And so Ananias went forth and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on your way has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”[f] 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized; 19 then, after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul Preaches in Damascus. For several days, Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astounded, and they said, “Is not this the man who in Jerusalem was persecuting those who invoked this name? And did he not come here for the specific purpose of arresting them so that they might be taken to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul’s strength continued to increase, and he confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by showing that Jesus is indeed the Christ.
23 After some time had passed, the Jews devised a plan to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were keeping watch on the city gates day and night so that they might kill him, 25 but his disciples took him one night and let him down in a basket over the wall.
26 Saul in Jerusalem and Tarsus. When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him because they did not believe that he had become a disciple. 27 However, Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He related to them how on his journey Saul had seen the Lord who had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.
28 Saul then moved about with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He also engaged in debate with the Hellenists[g] but they began planning to kill him. 30 When the brethren learned of this, they brought him to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.[h]
31 Period of Peace for the Church.[i]Meanwhile, the Church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace, building up strength and living in the fear of the Lord. Encouraged by the Holy Spirit,[j] the Church grew in numbers.
32 Peter Heals Aeneas at Lydda. As Peter traveled throughout the region, he went down to visit the saints living in Lydda.[k] 33 While there, he found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralyzed. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.” He immediately stood up. 35 All the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
36 Peter Restores Tabitha to Life. In Joppa, there was a disciple named Tabitha, or Dorcas in Greek, whose life was devoted to performing good works and giving to those in need. 37 In those days, she became ill and died. After they had washed her body, they laid her out in an upper room.[l] 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, on hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.”
39 Peter immediately set out with them, and when he arrived, they escorted him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and other clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
40 Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. 41 He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called the saints and the widows, and he showed her to them alive. 42 It came to be known throughout Joppa, causing many to come to believe in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed on for many days in Joppa at the house of a tanner[m] named Simon.
Footnotes
- Acts 9:1 The story of Paul’s conversion is repeated twice more in this Book, with some variations in details (Acts 22:4-21; 26:9-18).
The heart of the story is the identification of Jesus with the persecuted community of believers: The Lord can no longer be separated from his Church. Saul is given the mission of carrying the name of Jesus to Israel and the rulers of the nations. - Acts 9:1 Saul: present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), he was born in Tarsus and had studied under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3).
- Acts 9:2 Damascus: an important city of the Roman province of Syria with a large Jewish population; it was some 150 miles from Jerusalem and a four-to-six-day journey. Way: behavior, a concept of life, the teaching of the Lord, teaching about salvation; in short, Christianity (see Acts 16:17; 18:25-26). The Romans granted the high priest authority in religious matters, even over Jews outside of Palestine.
- Acts 9:11 Street called Straight: one of the oldest streets in the world. In Paul’s time, Damascus was laid out in the form of a rectangle intersected by “straight” streets. The longest of them all was the “Street called Straight.”
- Acts 9:13 Saints: so named because Christians are consecrated to Christ, the Holy One (Acts 3:14). The word recurs in verses 32 and 41. See also note on Rom 1:7.
- Acts 9:17 It was the resurrected Christ who appeared to Paul. Paul insisted on this point and based his qualifications as an apostle on it (see 1 Cor 9:1; 15:8).
- Acts 9:29 Hellenists: see note on Acts 6:1.
- Acts 9:30 Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia (in Asia Minor), was Paul’s native place (Acts 22:3); it is there that Barnabas will go looking for him (Acts 11:25).
- Acts 9:31 Luke gives us a new panoramic picture in which the themes of fervor and growth are stressed. A precarious peace is established, providing the time to contemplate the Church living and animated by the Spirit and planted in the whole land of ancient Israel. In verse 31, Church refers, not to a single Church, as it usually does in Scripture, but to all the communities. Peter visits the various centers, especially those in the area of present-day Tel Aviv. His miracles are recounted in the manner of pages in the Gospels.
- Acts 9:31 Encouraged by the Holy Spirit: this Book stresses the work of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 13:2). Hence, it is sometimes called “The Acts of the Holy Spirit.”
- Acts 9:32 Lydda: a town about 12 miles from Joppa.
- Acts 9:37 The body was washed in preparation for burial.
- Acts 9:43 A tanner: one who tans hides of animals and hence is considered unclean by the Law. Peter’s stay with him prepares the way for his mission to the Gentiles who were considered to be unclean by the Jews.
使徒行传 9
Chinese Standard Bible (Simplified)
大马士革路上
9 扫罗仍然向主的门徒们口吐凶杀威吓的话。他来到大祭司面前， 2 求他发一些信函给大马士革各会堂，准许扫罗如果发现什么人属于这道[a]，无论男女，都捆绑起来，带到耶路撒冷。 3 当扫罗赶路，快到大马士革的时候，忽然有光从天上下来，四面照射他。 4 他仆倒在地上，听见有声音对他说：“扫罗，扫罗！你为什么逼迫我？”
5 他问：“主啊，你到底是谁？”
主说：“我就是你所逼迫的耶稣。[b] 6 [c]你起来，进城去！有人会告诉你应该做什么。”
7 与扫罗同行的人都站着，哑口无言，他们虽然听见声音，却看不见任何人。 8 扫罗从地上爬起来，睁开眼睛，却什么也看不见。他们牵着他的手，把他带进大马士革。 9 他三天不能看见，不吃也不喝。
扫罗受洗
10 在大马士革有一个名叫阿纳尼亚的门徒。主在异象中对他说：“阿纳尼亚！”
他回答说：“主啊！看哪，我在这里。”
11 主就对他说：“起来，往那叫做‘直’的街上去，在犹大家里找一个名叫扫罗的塔尔苏人。看哪，原来他正在祷告。 12 他在异象中[d]看见了一个名叫阿纳尼亚的人，进来按手在他身上，使他重见光明。”
13 阿纳尼亚却回答：“主啊，我听许多人说过有关这个人在耶路撒冷对你的圣徒们所做的种种恶事。 14 并且，他得到祭司长们的授权来到这里，要捆绑所有求告你名的人。”
15 但是主对他说：“你去吧！因为这个人是我所拣选的器皿，不但要在外邦人和君王面前，还要在以色列子民面前宣扬[e]我的名。 16 我要指示他，为了我的名他必须受多大的苦害。”
17 阿纳尼亚就去了。他进了那家，按手在扫罗身上，说：“扫罗弟兄，在你来的路上向你显现的主耶稣差派我来，使你重见光明，并且被圣灵充满。”
18 立刻有像鳞片一样的东西从扫罗的眼睛上掉了下来，他就重见光明了。于是他起来受了洗； 19 吃过饭，体力就恢复了。
扫罗传讲基督
扫罗与在大马士革的门徒们住了几天， 20 就立刻在各会堂里传讲耶稣[f]，说这一位就是神的儿子。
21 所有听见的人都十分惊讶，说：“这不就是那个在耶路撒冷残害了那些求告这名的人吗？而且他来到这里，不就是为要捆绑他们，带到祭司长们那里吗？”
22 扫罗反而更加得以刚强，证明这一位就是基督，使住在大马士革的犹太人很狼狈。
23 过了许多日子以后，犹太人商议要杀了扫罗， 24 但他们的阴谋却被扫罗知道了。于是他们就日夜严守着各城门，要杀掉他。 25 然而他的门徒们趁夜把他带去，用筐子把他从城墙上缒了下去。
扫罗在耶路撒冷
26 扫罗来到耶路撒冷，想要和门徒们交往，可是大家都怕他，不相信他成了门徒。 27 但是巴拿巴接纳他，把他带到使徒们那里，并且告诉他们扫罗怎样在路上见到主，主怎样对他说了话，以及他怎样在大马士革奉耶稣的名放胆传道。 28 于是扫罗在耶路撒冷与他们一起出入，奉主[g]的名放胆传道。 29 他对那些说希腊语的犹太人讲道，与他们辩论；他们却图谋要杀了他。 30 弟兄们知道了这事，就带他下到凯撒里亚，然后送他往塔尔苏去。
31 这样，教会在犹太、加利利、撒马利亚全地得平安、得造就，并且怀着对主的敬畏之心不断地前行，在圣灵的安慰[h]中不断地增长。
艾尼亚痊愈
32 有一次，彼得走遍各地的时候，也下到住在利达的圣徒们那里。 33 在那里，他遇见了一个名叫艾尼亚的人。他是个瘫痪的人，躺在垫子上八年了。 34 彼得对他说：“艾尼亚，耶稣基督使你痊愈。站起来，为你自己整理垫子吧！”艾尼亚立刻就站起来了。 35 于是所有住在利达和沙仑的人看到他，就归向了主。
塔比莎复活
36 在约帕有一个女门徒，名叫塔比莎——“塔比莎”翻译出来意思是“羚羊[i]”。她尽做美善工作，常行施舍。 37 就在那些日子里，她患病死了。人们清洗了遗体，就放在楼上的房间。 38 利达离约帕不远，门徒们听说彼得在利达，就派了两个人到他那里，恳求他说：“请你来到我们这里，不要耽延！” 39 彼得就起身陪他们一起去。到了以后，他们把他领到楼上的房间。所有的寡妇都站在彼得旁边哭，把多卡丝与她们在一起的时候所缝制的衣服和袍子拿给他看。 40 彼得叫大家都出去，然后跪下祷告，接着转过身对着遗体，说：“塔比莎，你起来！”那妇人就睁开眼睛，看见彼得，而且坐了起来。 41 彼得伸手扶她站起来，又叫圣徒们和寡妇们进来，把活过来的多卡丝交给他们。 42 这事传遍了整个约帕，许多人就信了主。 43 后来，彼得在约帕的一个硝皮匠西门家里住了许多日子。
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