1 E Saulo, respirando ainda ameaças e mortes contra os discípulos do Senhor, dirigiu-se ao sumo sacerdote 2 e pediu-lhe cartas para Damasco, para as sinagogas, a fim de que, se encontrasse alguns daquela seita, quer homens, quer mulheres, os conduzisse presos a Jerusalém. 3 E, indo no caminho, aconteceu que, chegando perto de Damasco, subitamente o cercou um resplendor de luz do céu. 4 E, caindo em terra, ouviu uma voz que lhe dizia: Saulo, Saulo, por que me persegues? 5 E ele disse: Quem és, Senhor? E disse o Senhor: Eu sou Jesus, a quem tu persegues. Duro é para ti recalcitrar contra os aguilhões. 6 E ele, tremendo e atônito, disse: Senhor, que queres que faça? E disse-lhe o Senhor: Levanta-te e entra na cidade, e lá te será dito o que te convém fazer. 7 E os varões, que iam com ele, pararam espantados, ouvindo a voz, mas não vendo ninguém. 8 E Saulo levantou-se da terra e, abrindo os olhos, não via a ninguém. E, guiando-o pela mão, o conduziram a Damasco. 9 E esteve três dias sem ver, e não comeu, nem bebeu.

10 E havia em Damasco um certo discípulo chamado Ananias. E disse-lhe o Senhor em visão: Ananias! E ele respondeu: Eis-me aqui, Senhor! 11 E disse-lhe o Senhor: Levanta-te, e vai à rua chamada Direita, e pergunta em casa de Judas por um homem de Tarso chamado Saulo; pois eis que ele está orando; 12 e numa visão ele viu que entrava um homem chamado Ananias e punha sobre ele a mão, para que tornasse a ver. 13 E respondeu Ananias: Senhor, de muitos ouvi acerca deste homem, quantos males tem feito aos teus santos em Jerusalém; 14 e aqui tem poder dos principais dos sacerdotes para prender a todos os que invocam o teu nome. 15 Disse-lhe, porém, o Senhor: Vai, porque este é para mim um vaso escolhido para levar o meu nome diante dos gentios, e dos reis, e dos filhos de Israel. 16 E eu lhe mostrarei quanto deve padecer pelo meu nome. 17 E Ananias foi, e entrou na casa, e, impondo-lhe as mãos, disse: Irmão Saulo, o Senhor Jesus, que te apareceu no caminho por onde vinhas, me enviou, para que tornes a ver e sejas cheio do Espírito Santo. 18 E logo lhe caíram dos olhos como que umas escamas, e recuperou a vista; e, levantando-se, foi batizado.

19 E, tendo comido, ficou confortado. E esteve Saulo alguns dias com os discípulos que estavam em Damasco.

20 E logo, nas sinagogas, pregava a Jesus, que este era o Filho de Deus. 21 Todos os que o ouviam estavam atônitos e diziam: Não é este o que em Jerusalém perseguia os que invocavam este nome e para isso veio aqui, para os levar presos aos principais dos sacerdotes? 22 Saulo, porém, se esforçava muito mais e confundia os judeus que habitavam em Damasco, provando que aquele era o Cristo.

23 E, tendo passado muitos dias, os judeus tomaram conselho entre si para o matar. 24 Mas as suas ciladas vieram ao conhecimento de Saulo; e, como eles guardavam as portas, tanto de dia como de noite, para poderem tirar-lhe a vida, 25 tomando-o de noite os discípulos, o desceram, dentro de um cesto, pelo muro.

26 E, quando Saulo chegou a Jerusalém, procurava ajuntar-se aos discípulos, mas todos o temiam, não crendo que fosse discípulo. 27 Então, Barnabé, tomando-o consigo, o trouxe aos apóstolos e lhes contou como no caminho ele vira ao Senhor, e este lhe falara, e como em Damasco falara ousadamente no nome de Jesus. 28 E andava com eles em Jerusalém, entrando e saindo. 29 E falava ousadamente no nome de Jesus. Falava e disputava também contra os gregos, mas eles procuravam matá-lo. 30 Sabendo-o, porém, os irmãos, o acompanharam até Cesareia e o enviaram a Tarso.

31 Assim, pois, as igrejas em toda a Judeia, e Galileia, e Samaria tinham paz e eram edificadas; e se multiplicavam, andando no temor do Senhor e na consolação do Espírito Santo.

32 E aconteceu que, passando Pedro por toda parte, veio também aos santos que habitavam em Lida. 33 E achou ali certo homem chamado Eneias, jazendo numa cama havia oito anos, o qual era paralítico. 34 E disse-lhe Pedro: Eneias, Jesus Cristo te dá saúde; levanta-te e faze a tua cama. E logo se levantou. 35 E viram-no todos os que habitavam em Lida e Sarona, os quais se converteram ao Senhor.

36 E havia em Jope uma discípula chamada Tabita, que, traduzido, se diz Dorcas. Esta estava cheia de boas obras e esmolas que fazia. 37 E aconteceu, naqueles dias, que, enfermando ela, morreu; e, tendo-a lavado, a depositaram num quarto alto. 38 E, como Lida era perto de Jope, ouvindo os discípulos que Pedro estava ali, lhe mandaram dois varões, rogando-lhe que não se demorasse em vir ter com eles. 39 E, levantando-se Pedro, foi com eles. Quando chegou, o levaram ao quarto alto, e todas as viúvas o rodearam, chorando e mostrando as túnicas e vestes que Dorcas fizera quando estava com elas. 40 Mas Pedro, fazendo-as sair a todas, pôs-se de joelhos e orou; e, voltando-se para o corpo, disse: Tabita, levanta-te. E ela abriu os olhos e, vendo a Pedro, assentou-se. 41 E ele, dando-lhe a mão, a levantou e, chamando os santos e as viúvas, apresentou-lha viva. 42 E foi isto notório por toda a Jope, e muitos creram no Senhor. 43 E ficou muitos dias em Jope, com um certo Simão, curtidor.

1 Now Saul, still breathing threats of murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem.3 As he traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him.4 He dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"5 He asked, "Who are you, Lord?"He said,"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.6 But get up and go into the city, and it will be told you what you are to do."7 Meanwhile, the men who were traveling with him were standing speechless, for they heard the voice but didn't see anyone.8 When Saul got up off the ground, he couldn't see anything, even though his eyes were open. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.9 For three days he couldn't see, and he didn't eat or drink anything.10 Now in Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision,"Ananias!"He answered, "Here I am, Lord."11 The Lord said to him,"Get up, go to the street called Straight, and in the home of Judas look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. At this very moment he is praying.12 He has seen in a visiona man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so he would see again."13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard many people tell how much evil this man has done to your saints in Jerusalem.14 He is here with authority from the high priests to put in chains all who call on your name."15 But the Lord said to him,"Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the descendants of Israel.16 For I am going to show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake."17 So Ananias left and went to that house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were traveling, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."18 All at once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,19 and after taking some food he felt strong again. For several days he stayed with the disciples in Damascus.20 He immediately started to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "This is the Son of God."21 All who heard him were astonished and said, "This is the man who harassed those who called on his name in Jerusalem, isn't it? Didn't he come here to bring them in chains to the high priests?"22 But Saul grew more and more powerful and continued to confound the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this man was the Christ.23 After several days had gone by, the Jews plotted to murder him,24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were even watching the gates day and night to murder him,25 but his disciples took him one night and let him down through the wall by lowering him in a basket.26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they all were afraid of him because they wouldn't believe he was a disciple.27 Barnabas, however, took him and presented him to the apostles, telling them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how courageously he had spoken in the name of Jesus in Damascus.28 So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking courageously in the name of the Lord.29 He kept talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews, but they were bent on murdering him.30 When the brothers found out about it, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.31 So the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace. As it continued to be built up and to live in the fear of the Lord, it kept increasing in numbers through the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.32 Now when Peter was going around among all of the disciples, he also came down to the saints living in Lydda.33 There he found a man named Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.34 Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ is healing you. Get up and put away your bed!" At once he got up,35 and all the people who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity, which she was always doing.37 At that time she got sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upstairs room.38 As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him and begged him, "Come to us without delay!"39 So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him upstairs. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him all the shirts and coats Dorcas made while she was still with them.40 But Peter made them all go outside. After he knelt down and prayed, he turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.41 He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called the saints and widows and gave her back to them alive.42 This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.43 Meanwhile, Peter stayed in Joppa for several days with Simon, a leatherworker.