| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. | 1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest |
| 2He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. | 2and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. |
| 3As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. | 3As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. |
| 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” | 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” |
| 5“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! | 5“Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied. |
| 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” | 6“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” |
| 7The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! | 7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone. |
| 8Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. | 8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see a thing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. |
| 9He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. | 9For three days he was without sight, and he did not eat or drink anything. |
| 10Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied. | 10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered. |
| 11The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. | 11“Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. |
| 12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.” | 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” |
| 13“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! | 13But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. |
| 14And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.” | 14And now he is here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.” |
| 15But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. | 15“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel. |
| 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.” | 16I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.” |
| 17So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” | 17So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” |
| 18Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. | 18At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized, |
| 19Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. | 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. And he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. |
| 20And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!” | 20Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.” |
| 21All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?” | 21All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” |
| 22Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. | 22But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. |
| 23After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him. | 23After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, |
| 24They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot. | 24but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him. |
| 25So during the night, some of the other believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall. | 25One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall. |
| 26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! | 26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. |
| 27Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. | 27Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who spoke to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus. |
| 28So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. | 28So Saul stayed with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. |
| 29He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him. | 29He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. |
| 30When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown. | 30When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. |
| 31The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers. Peter Heals Aeneas and Raises Dorcas | 31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace. It grew in strength and numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit. |
| 32Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. | 32As Peter traveled throughout the area, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. |
| 33There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. | 33There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. |
| 34Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. | 34“Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and put away your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up, |
| 35Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord. | 35and all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. |
| 36There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas ). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. | 36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated as Dorcas), who was always occupied with works of kindness and charity. |
| 37About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. | 37At that time, however, she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upper room. |
| 38But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!” | 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to urge him, “Come to us without delay.” |
| 39So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them. | 39So Peter got up and went with them. On his arrival, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. |
| 40But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! | 40Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. |
| 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive. | 41Peter took her by the hand and helped her up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her to them alive. |
| 42The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. | 42This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. |
| 43And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a tanner of hides. | 43And Peter stayed for several days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon. |
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