1 Now Saul, still breathing threats of murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 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.
1 Enquanto isso, Saulo ainda respirava ameaças de morte contra os discípulos do Senhor. Dirigindo-se ao sumo sacerdote,
2 pediu-lhe cartas para as sinagogas de Damasco, de maneira que, caso encontrasse ali homens ou mulheres que pertencessem ao Caminho, pudesse levá-los presos para Jerusalém.
3 Em sua viagem, quando se aproximava de Damasco, de repente brilhou ao seu redor uma luz vinda do céu.
4 Ele caiu por terra e ouviu uma voz que lhe dizia: "Saulo, Saulo, por que você me persegue? "
5 Saulo perguntou: "Quem és tu, Senhor? " Ele respondeu: "Eu sou Jesus, a quem você persegue.
6 Levante-se, entre na cidade; alguém lhe dirá o que você deve fazer".
7 Os homens que viajavam com Saulo pararam emudecidos; ouviam a voz mas não viam ninguém.
8 Saulo levantou-se do chão e, abrindo os olhos, não conseguia ver nada. E eles o levaram pela mão até Damasco.
9 Por três dias ele esteve cego, não comeu nem bebeu.
10 Em Damasco havia um discípulo chamado Ananias. O Senhor o chamou numa visão: "Ananias! " "Eis-me aqui, Senhor", respondeu ele.
11 O Senhor lhe disse: "Vá à casa de Judas, na rua chamada Direita, e pergunte por um homem de Tarso chamado Saulo. Ele está orando;
12 numa visão viu um homem chamado Ananias chegar e impor-lhe as mãos para que voltasse a ver".
13 Respondeu Ananias: "Senhor, tenho ouvido muita coisa a respeito desse homem e de todo o mal que ele tem feito aos teus santos em Jerusalém.
14 Ele chegou aqui com autorização dos chefes dos sacerdotes para prender todos os que invocam o teu nome".
15 Mas o Senhor disse a Ananias: "Vá! Este homem é meu instrumento escolhido para levar o meu nome perante os gentios e seus reis, e perante o povo de Israel.
16 Mostrarei a ele o quanto deve sofrer pelo meu nome".
17 Então Ananias foi, entrou na casa, impôs as mãos sobre Saulo e disse: "Irmão Saulo, o Senhor Jesus, que lhe apareceu no caminho por onde você vinha, enviou-me para que você volte a ver e seja cheio do Espírito Santo".
18 Imediatamente, algo como escamas caiu dos olhos de Saulo e ele passou a ver novamente. Levantando-se, foi batizado
19 e, depois de comer, recuperou as forças. Saulo passou vários dias com os discípulos em Damasco.
20 Logo começou a pregar nas sinagogas que Jesus é o Filho de Deus.
21 Todos os que o ouviam ficavam perplexos e perguntavam: "Não é ele o homem que procurava destruir em Jerusalém aqueles que invocam este nome? E não veio para cá justamente para levá-los presos aos chefes dos sacerdotes? "
22 Todavia, Saulo se fortalecia cada vez mais e confundia os judeus que viviam em Damasco, demonstrando que Jesus é o Cristo.
23 Decorridos muitos dias, os judeus decidiram de comum acordo matá-lo,
24 mas Saulo ficou sabendo do plano deles. Dia e noite eles vigiavam as portas da cidade a fim de matá-lo.
25 Mas os seus discípulos o levaram de noite e o fizeram descer num cesto, através de uma abertura na muralha.
26 Quando chegou a Jerusalém, tentou reunir-se aos discípulos, mas todos estavam com medo dele, não acreditando que fosse realmente um discípulo.
27 Então Barnabé o levou aos apóstolos e lhes contou como, no caminho, Saulo vira o Senhor, que lhe falara, e como em Damasco ele havia pregado corajosamente em nome de Jesus.
28 Assim, Saulo ficou com eles, e andava com liberdade em Jerusalém, pregando corajosamente em nome do Senhor.
29 Falava e discutia com os judeus de fala grega, mas estes tentavam matá-lo.
30 Sabendo disso, os irmãos o levaram para Cesaréia e o enviaram para Tarso.
31 A igreja passava por um período de paz em toda a Judéia, Galiléia e Samaria. Ela se edificava e, encorajada pelo Espírito Santo, crescia em número, vivendo no temor do Senhor.
32 Viajando por toda parte, Pedro foi visitar os santos que viviam em Lida.
33 Ali encontrou um paralítico chamado Enéias, que estava acamado fazia oito anos.
34 Disse-lhe Pedro: "Enéias, Jesus Cristo vai curá-lo! Levante-se e arrume a sua cama". Ele se levantou imediatamente.
35 Todos os que viviam em Lida e Sarona o viram e se converteram ao Senhor.
36 Em Jope havia uma discípula chamada Tabita, que em grego é Dorcas, que se dedicava a praticar boas obras e dar esmolas.
37 Naqueles dias ela ficou doente e morreu, e seu corpo foi lavado e colocado num quarto do andar superior.
38 Lida ficava perto de Jope, e quando os discípulos ouviram falar que Pedro estava em Lida, mandaram-lhe dois homens dizer-lhe: "Não se demore em vir até nós".
39 Pedro foi com eles e, quando chegou, foi levado para o quarto do andar superior. Todas as viúvas o rodearam, chorando e mostrando-lhe os vestidos e outras roupas que Dorcas tinha feito quando ainda estava com elas.
40 Pedro mandou que todos saíssem do quarto; depois, ajoelhou-se e orou. Voltando-se para a mulher morta, disse: "Tabita, levante-se". Ela abriu os olhos e, vendo Pedro, sentou-se.
41 Tomando-a pela mão, ajudou-a a pôr-se de pé. Então, chamando os santos e as viúvas, apresentou-a viva.
42 Este fato se tornou conhecido em toda a cidade de Jope, e muitos creram no Senhor.
43 Pedro ficou em Jope durante algum tempo, com um curtidor de couro chamado Simão.