Atos 9

A conversão de Saulo

1 *At 9.1-22; cp.At 22.3-16;26.9-18Saulo, *At 8.3;At 9.13,21respirando ainda ameaças e morte contra os discípulos do Senhor, dirigiu-se ao sumo sacerdote 2 e pediu-lhe *At 22.5;26.10; cp.At 9.14,21cartas para as *cp.Mt 10.17sinagogas de *Gn 14.15, etc.;2Co 11.32;Gl 1.17Damasco, a fim de que, caso achasse alguns que fossem do *At 19.9,23;22.4;24.14,22; cp.At 18.25s.;Jo 14.6Caminho, tanto homens como mulheres, os levasse presos a Jerusalém. 3 Caminhando ele, ao aproximar-se de Damasco, *cp.1Co 15.8subitamente resplandeceu em redor dele uma luz do céu; 4 *cp.At 22.7;26.14e, caindo em terra, ouviu uma voz dizer-lhe: Saulo, Saulo, por que me persegues? 5 Ele perguntou: Quem és tu, Senhor? Respondeu o Senhor: Eu sou Jesus, a quem tu persegues; 6 mas levanta-te e entra na cidade, e *At 9.16dir-te-ão o que te é necessário fazer. 7 Os homens que viajavam com ele *cp.At 26.14pararam, emudecidos, *cp.At 22.9;Jo 12.29s.ouvindo sim a voz, mas sem ver a ninguém. 8 Levantou-se Saulo da terra e, *cp.At 22.11;At 9.18abrindo os olhos, nada viu; e, guiando-o pela mão, conduziram-no a *Gn 14.15, etc.;2Co 11.32;Gl 1.17Damasco. 9 Esteve três dias sem ver e não comeu, nem bebeu.

Ananias visita a Saulo

10 Ora, havia em Damasco um discípulo chamado *At 22.12Ananias, e disse-lhe o Senhor em *At 10.3,17,19;11.5;12.9;16.9s.;18.9visão: Ananias! Respondeu ele: Eis-me aqui Senhor! 11 O Senhor ordenou-lhe: Levanta-te e vai à rua que se chama Direita e procura na casa de Judas a um homem de *At 9.30;At 11.25;21.39;22.3Tarso, chamado Saulo; pois ele está orando 12 e tem visto um homem, por nome Ananias, entrar e *At 9.17;Mc 5.23; cp.At 6.6impor-lhe as mãos para recuperar a vista. 13 Mas Ananias respondeu: Senhor, eu tenho ouvido a muitos acerca desse homem, *At 8.3quantos males fez aos *At 9.32,41;At 26.10;Rm 1.7;15.25-26,31;16.2,15;1Co 1.2, etc.teus santos em Jerusalém; 14 e aqui *At 9.2,21tem autoridade dos principais sacerdotes para prender a todos os que *At 7.59invocam o teu nome. 15 Mas o Senhor disse-lhe: Vai, porque *cp.At 13.2;Rm 1.1;Gl 1.15;Ef 3.7;Rm 9.23este é para mim um vaso escolhido para levar o meu nome perante *Rm 6.5;11.13;15.16;Gl 1.16;2.7ss.;Ef 3.2,8;1Tm 2.7;2Tm 4.17; cp.At 22.21;26.17os gentios e *At 25.22s.;26.1,32; cp.2Tm 4.16os reis, bem como perante os filhos de Israel; 16 pois *At 20.23;21.11; cp.21.4,13;1Ts 3.3; esp.2Co 6.4s.;11.23-27eu lhe mostrarei quanto lhe é necessário padecer pelo meu nome. 17 Partiu Ananias, e entrou na casa, e, *At 9.12;Mc 5.23; cp.At 6.6impondo-lhe as mãos, disse: *At 22.13Saulo, irmão, o Senhor Jesus, que te apareceu no caminho por onde vinhas, enviou-me para que recuperes a vista e fiques *At 2.4cheio do Espírito Santo. 18 Logo, lhe caíram dos olhos umas como escamas, e recuperou a vista. Levantando-se, foi batizado; 19 e, depois de tomar alimento, ficou fortalecido.

Saulo prega em Damasco

*At 26.20Demorou-se alguns dias com *At 11.26;At 9.26,38os discípulos que estavam em Damasco; 20 e logo *At 13.5,14;14.1;17.2,10,17;18.4,19;19.8; cp.16.13;28.17nas sinagogas proclamava que Jesus era *Mt 4.3;At 13.33; cp.At 9.22Filho de Deus. 21 Pasmavam todos os que escutavam e diziam: Não é este o que *At 8.3;At 9.13;Gl 1.13,23perseguia em Jerusalém aos que *At 9.14invocavam esse nome e que tinha vindo cá para os levar presos aos principais sacerdotes? 22 Porém Saulo muito mais se fortalecia e confundia os judeus que habitavam em Damasco, provando que Jesus era o Cristo.

Saulo escapa dos judeus

23 Decorridos *cp.Gl 1.17-18muitos dias, *1Ts 2.16os judeus deliberaram entre si tirar-lhe a vida; 24 porém *At 20.3,19;23.12,30;25.3essa cilada chegou ao conhecimento de Saulo. *2Co 11.32s.Guardavam também as portas de dia e de noite para o matar. 25 Mas os discípulos tomaram-no de noite e desceram-no pela muralha, baixando-o numa *Mt 15.37alcofa.

Saulo em Jerusalém e Tarso

26 *At 22.17-20;26.20Tendo chegado a Jerusalém, tentava juntar-se com *At 11.26;At 9.19,38os discípulos; e todos tinham medo dele, não crendo que ele fosse discípulo. 27 Mas *At 4.36Barnabé, tomando-o consigo, levou-o aos apóstolos e contou-lhes como ele *At 9.3-6vira o Senhor no caminho, e que este lhe falara, e como *At 9.20,22em Damasco *At 9.29; cp.At 4.13,29pregara ousadamente em nome de Jesus. 28 Estava com eles em Jerusalém, entrando e saindo, 29 pregando com coragem em nome do Senhor. Ele falava e disputava com os *At 6.1helenistas; mas eles tratavam de tirar-lhe a vida, 30 o que, tendo sabido *At 1.15os irmãos, levaram-no até *At 8.40Cesareia *cp.Gl 1.21(?)e enviaram-no a *At 9.11Tarso.

A igreja cresce

31 Assim, pois, tinha *cp.At 5.11;8.1;16.5paz a igreja por toda a Judeia, Galileia e Samaria, sendo edificada e caminhando no temor do Senhor, e crescia no conforto do Espírito Santo.

A cura de Eneias

32 Passando Pedro por toda parte, desceu também *At 9.13aos santos que habitam em *cp.1Cr 8.12;Ed 2.33;Ne 7.37;11.35Lida. 33 Achou ali um homem chamado Eneias, que havia oito anos jazia numa cama, porque era paralítico. 34 Pedro disse-lhe: Eneias, Jesus Cristo te sara; levanta-te e faze a tua cama. Ele logo se levantou. 35 Viram-no todos os que moravam em Lida *1Cr 5.16;27.29;Ct 2.1;Is 33.9;35.2;65.10e Sarona, os quais *At 11.21; vd.2.47; cp.At 9.42se converteram ao Senhor.

A ressurreição de Dorcas

36 Havia em *Js 19.46;2Cr 2.16;Ed 3.7;Jn 1.3; cp.At 9.38,42s.;At 10.5,8,23,32;11.5,13Jope uma discípula por nome Tabita, que quer dizer Dorcas; ela estava cheia de boas obras e esmolas que fazia. 37 Naqueles dias, adoecendo ela, morreu; e, depois de a lavarem, puseram-na *At 9.39;At 1.13no cenáculo. 38 Como Lida era perto de Jope, *At 11.26os discípulos, ouvindo que Pedro se achava lá, enviaram-lhe dois homens e rogaram-lhe: Não te demores em vir ter conosco. 39 Pedro levantou-se e foi com eles. Tendo chegado, conduziram-no ao cenáculo; e todas *At 6.1as viúvas cercaram-no, chorando e mostrando-lhe túnicas e capas que Dorcas fazia, enquanto estava com elas. 40 Mas Pedro, *cp.Mt 9.25tendo feito sair a todos e *At 7.60;Lc 22.41pondo-se de joelhos, orou; e, voltando-se para o corpo, disse: *cp.Mc 5.41Tabita, levanta-te. Ela abriu os olhos e, vendo a Pedro, sentou-se. 41 Ele, dando-lhe a mão, levantou-a; e, chamando *At 9.13os santos e as viúvas, apresentou-lha viva. 42 Isso se tornou conhecido por toda *At 9.35Jope, e muitos creram no Senhor. 43 Pedro ficou em Jope por muitos dias, em casa de um *At 10.6curtidor chamado Simão.

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him. 4 He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

5 He said, "Who are you, Lord?"

The Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.*9:5 TR adds "It’s hard for you to kick against the cattle prods." 6 But*9:6 TR omits "But" rise up and enter into the city, then you will be told what you must do."

7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one. 8 Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias!"

He said, "Behold, it’s me, Lord."

11 The Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah*9:11 or, Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying, 12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight."

13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name."

15 But the Lord said to him, "Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake."

17 Ananias departed and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized. 19 He took food and was strengthened.

Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus. 20 Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Christ, that he is the Son of God. 21 All who heard him were amazed, and said, "Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!"

22 But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ. 23 When many days were fulfilled, the Jews conspired together to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.

26 When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 He was with them entering into*9:28 TR and NU add "and going out" Jerusalem, 29 preaching boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus.*9:29 TR and NU omit "Jesus" and reverse the order of verses 28 & 29. He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists,*9:29 The Hellenists were Hebrews who used Greek language and culture. but they were seeking to kill him. 30 When the brothers*9:30 The word for "brothers" here and where the context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings." knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31 So the assemblies throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

32 As Peter went throughout all those parts, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years because he was paralyzed. 34 Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!" Immediately he arose. 35 All who lived at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which when translated means Dorcas.*9:36 "Dorcas" is Greek for "Gazelle." This woman was full of good works and acts of mercy which she did. 37 In those days, she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men*9:38 Reading from NU, TR; MT omits "two men" to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 39 Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the tunics and other garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 Peter sent them all out, and knelt down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 He gave her his hand and raised her up. Calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 He stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.