1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.4 He 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. "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."7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered.11 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 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."13 "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, 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."18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?"22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him,24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, "but they tried to kill him.30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord's people who lived in Lydda.33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.34 "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up.35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!"39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.
1 اما شاول فكان لم يزل ينفث تهدّدا وقتلا على تلاميذ الرب. فتقدم الى رئيس الكهنة2 وطلب منه رسائل الى دمشق الى الجماعات حتى اذا وجد اناسا من الطريق رجالا او نساء يسوقهم موثقين الى اورشليم.3 وفي ذهابه حدث انه اقترب الى دمشق فبغتة ابرق حوله نور من السماء.4 فسقط على الارض وسمع صوتا قائلا له شاول شاول لماذا تضطهدني.5 فقال من انت يا سيد. فقال الرب انا يسوع الذي انت تضطهده. صعب عليك ان ترفس مناخس.6 فقال وهو مرتعد ومتحيّر يا رب ماذا تريد ان افعل. فقال له الرب قم وادخل المدينة فيقال لك ماذا ينبغي ان تفعل.7 واما الرجال المسافرون معه فوقفوا صامتين يسمعون الصوت ولا ينظرون احدا.8 فنهض شاول عن الارض وكان وهو مفتوح العينين لا يبصر احدا. فاقتادوه بيده وادخلوه الى دمشق.9 وكان ثلاثة ايام لا يبصر فلم يأكل ولم يشرب10 وكان في دمشق تلميذ اسمه حنانيا. فقال له الرب في رؤيا يا حنانيا. فقال هانذا يا رب.11 فقال له الرب قم واذهب الى الزقاق الذي يقال له المستقيم واطلب في بيت يهوذا رجلا طرسوسيا اسمه شاول. لانه هوذا يصلّي12 وقد رأى في رؤيا رجلا اسمه حنانيا داخلا وواضعا يده عليه لكي يبصر.13 فاجاب حنانيا يا رب قد سمعت من كثيرين عن هذا الرجل كم من الشرور فعل بقديسيك في اورشليم.14 وههنا له سلطان من قبل رؤساء الكهنة ان يوثق جميع الذين يدعون باسمك.15 فقال له الرب اذهب. لان هذا لي اناء مختار ليحمل اسمي امام امم وملوك وبني اسرائيل.16 لاني سأريه كم ينبغي ان يتألم من اجل اسمي.17 فمضى حنانيا ودخل البيت ووضع عليه يديه وقال ايها الاخ شاول قد ارسلني الرب يسوع الذي ظهر لك في الطريق الذي جئت فيه لكي تبصر وتمتلئ من الروح القدس.18 فللوقت وقع من عينيه شيء كانه قشور فابصر في الحال وقام واعتمد.19 وتناول طعاما فتقوى. وكان شاول مع التلاميذ الذين في دمشق اياما.20 وللوقت جعل يكرز في المجامع بالمسيح ان هذا هو ابن الله.21 فبهت جميع الذين كانوا يسمعون وقالوا أليس هذا هو الذي اهلك في اورشليم الذين يدعون بهذا الاسم. وقد جاء الى هنا لهذا ليسوقهم موثقين الى رؤساء الكهنة.22 واما شاول فكان يزداد قوة ويحيّر اليهود الساكنين في دمشق محققا ان هذا هو المسيح23 ولما تمت ايام كثيرة تشاور اليهود ليقتلوه.24 فعلم شاول بمكيدتهم. وكانوا يراقبون الابواب ايضا نهارا وليلا ليقتلوه.25 فاخذه التلاميذ ليلا وانزلوه من السور مدلين اياه في سل26 ولما جاء شاول الى اورشليم حاول ان يلتصق بالتلاميذ. وكان الجميع يخافونه غير مصدقين انه تلميذ.27 فاخذه برنابا واحضره الى الرسل وحدثهم كيف ابصر الرب في الطريق وانه كلمه وكيف جاهر في دمشق باسم يسوع.28 فكان معهم يدخل ويخرج في اورشليم ويجاهر باسم الرب يسوع.29 وكان يخاطب ويباحث اليونانيين فحاولوا ان يقتلوه.30 فلما علم الاخوة احدروه الى قيصرية وارسلوه الى طرسوس31 واما الكنائس في جميع اليهودية والجليل والسامرة فكان لها سلام وكانت تبنى وتسير في خوف الرب وبتعزية الروح القدس كانت تتكاثر32 وحدث ان بطرس وهو يجتاز بالجميع نزل ايضا الى القديسين الساكنين في لدّة.33 فوجد هناك انسانا اسمه اينياس مضطجعا على سرير منذ ثماني سنين وكان مفلوجا.34 فقال له بطرس يا اينياس يشفيك يسوع المسيح. قم وافرش لنفسك. فقام للوقت.35 ورآه جميع الساكنين في لدّة وسارون الذين رجعوا الى الرب36 وكان في يافا تلميذة اسمها طابيثا الذي ترجمته غزالة. هذه كانت ممتلئة اعمالا صالحة واحسانات كانت تعملها.37 وحدث في تلك الايام انها مرضت وماتت. فغسلوها ووضعوها في عليّة.38 واذ كانت لدّة قريبة من يافا وسمع التلاميذ ان بطرس فيها ارسلوا رجلين يطلبان اليه ان لا يتوانى عن ان يجتاز اليهم.39 فقام بطرس وجاء معهما. فلما وصل صعدوا به الى العليّة فوقفت لديه جميع الارامل يبكين ويرين اقمصة وثيابا مما كانت تعمل غزالة وهي معهنّ.40 فاخرج بطرس الجميع خارجا وجثا على ركبتيه وصلّى ثم التفت الى الجسد وقال يا طابيثا قومي. ففتحت عينيها. ولما ابصرت بطرس جلست.41 فناولها يده واقامها. ثم نادى القديسين والارامل واحضرها حية.42 فصار ذلك معلوما في يافا كلها فآمن كثيرون بالرب.43 ومكث اياما كثيرة في يافا عند سمعان رجل دباغ