The Road to Damascus (Acts 22:1–21; Acts 26:1–23)
1 UDB Meanwhile, Saul angrily continued to threaten to kill those who followed the Lord. He went to the high priest in Jerusalem BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest
2 UDB and requested him to write letters introducing him to the leaders of the Jewish synagogues in Damascus. The letters asked them to give Saul power to seize any man or woman who followed the way that Jesus had taught, and to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem so that the Jewish leaders could judge and punish them. BSB BSB: and 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.
3 UDB While Saul and those with him were traveling, they were approaching Damascus. Suddenly a brilliant light from heaven shone around Saul. BSB BSB: As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4 UDB Immediately he fell down to the ground. Then he heard the voice of someone say to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you trying to hurt me?" BSB BSB: He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”
5 UDB Saul asked him, "Lord, who are you?" He replied, "I am Jesus, whom you are hurting. BSB BSB: “Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied.
6 UDB Now stand up and go into the city! Someone there will tell you what I want you to do." BSB BSB: “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 UDB The men who were traveling with Saul were so astonished that they could not say anything. They just stood there. They heard the Lord speak, but they did not see anyone. BSB BSB: The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone.
8 UDB Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see anything. So the men with him took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. BSB BSB: Saul 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.
9 UDB For the next three days Saul could not see anything, and he did not eat or drink anything. BSB BSB: For three days he was without sight, and he did not eat or drink anything.
Ananias Baptizes Saul 10 UDB In Damascus there was a follower of Jesus named Ananias. The Lord Jesus made him see a vision and said to him, "Ananias!" He replied, "Lord, I am listening." BSB BSB: In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered.
11 UDB The Lord Jesus told him, "Go to Straight Street to the house that belongs to Judas. Ask someone there if you can talk to a man named Saul of Tarsus because he is praying to me at this moment. BSB BSB: “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 UDB Saul has seen a vision in which a man named Ananias entered the house where he was staying and put his hands on him in order that he might see again." BSB BSB: In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 UDB Ananias answered, "But Lord, many people have told me about this man! He has done many evil things to the people in Jerusalem who believe in you! BSB BSB: But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
14 UDB The chief priests have given him power to come here to Damascus in order to arrest all those who believe in you!" BSB BSB: And now he is here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.”
15 UDB But the Lord Jesus told Ananias, "Go to Saul! Do what I say, because I have chosen him to serve me in order that he might speak about me to Gentile people and to kings and to the children of Israel. BSB BSB: “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 UDB I myself will tell him that he must often suffer in order to tell people about me." BSB BSB: I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.”
17 UDB So Ananias went, and after he found the house where Saul was, he entered it. Then, as soon as he met Saul, he put his hands on him, and he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus himself commanded me to come to you. He is the same one who appeared to you while you were traveling along the road to Damascus. He sent me to you in order that you might see again and that you might be guided by the Holy Spirit in all you do." BSB BSB: So 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.”
18 UDB Instantly, things like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he was able to see again. Then he stood up and was baptized. BSB BSB: At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized,
19 UDB After Saul ate some food, he became strong again. Saul stayed with the other believers in Damascus for several days. BSB BSB: and after taking some food, he regained his strength. And he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
Saul Preaches at Damascus 20 UDB Right away he began to preach about Jesus in the Jewish synagogues. He told them that Jesus is the Son of God. BSB BSB: Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.”
21 UDB All the people who heard him preach were amazed. Some of them were saying, "We can hardly believe that this is the same man who pursued the believers in Jerusalem and who has come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests in Jerusalem!" BSB BSB: All 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?”
22 UDB But God enabled Saul to preach to many people even more convincingly. He was proving from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. So the Jewish leaders in Damascus could not think how to disprove what he said. BSB BSB: But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
The Escape from Damascus 23 UDB Some time later, the Jewish leaders there plotted to kill him. BSB BSB: After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,
24 UDB During each day and night, those Jews were continually watching the people passing through the city gates, so that when they saw Saul they might kill him. However, someone told Saul what they planned to do. BSB BSB: but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.
25 UDB So some of those whom he had led to believe in Jesus took him one night to the high stone wall that surrounded the city. They used ropes to lower him in a large basket through an opening in the wall. In this way he escaped from Damascus. BSB BSB: One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.
Saul in Jerusalem 26 UDB When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with other believers. However, almost all of them continued to be afraid of him because they did not believe that he had become a believer. BSB BSB: When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
27 UDB But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He explained to the apostles how, while Saul was traveling along the road to Damascus, he had seen the Lord Jesus and how the Lord had spoken to him there. He also told them how Saul had preached boldly about Jesus to people in Damascus. BSB BSB: Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus.
28 UDB So Saul began to meet with the apostles and other believers throughout Jerusalem, and he spoke boldly to people about the Lord Jesus. BSB BSB: So Saul stayed with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
29 UDB Saul was also speaking about Jesus with Jews who spoke Greek, and he was debating with them. But they were continually trying to think of a way to kill him. BSB BSB: He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.
30 UDB When the other believers heard that they were planning to kill him, some of them took Saul down to the city of Caesarea. There they put him on a ship going to Tarsus, his hometown. BSB BSB: When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
The Healing of Aeneas 31 UDB So the groups of believers throughout the regions of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria lived peacefully because no one was persecuting them anymore. The Holy Spirit was strengthening them and encouraging them. They were continuing to honor the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit was enabling many other people to become believers. BSB BSB: Then 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.
32 UDB While Peter was traveling throughout those regions, once he went to the coastal plain to visit the believers who lived in the town of Lydda. BSB BSB: As Peter traveled throughout the area, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.
33 UDB There he met a man whose name was Aeneas. Aeneas had not been able to get up from his bed for eight years, because he was paralyzed. BSB BSB: There he found a man named Aeneas who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.
34 UDB Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and roll up your mat!" Right away Aeneas stood up. BSB BSB: “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and put away your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up,
35 UDB Most of the people who lived in Lydda and on Sharon Plain saw Aeneas after the Lord had healed him, so they believed in the Lord Jesus. BSB BSB: and all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
The Raising of Tabitha (John 11:38–44)
36 UDB In the town of Joppa there was a believer whose name was Tabitha. Her name in the Greek language was Dorcas. She was always doing good deeds for poor people by giving them things that they needed. BSB BSB: In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated as Dorcas), who was always occupied with works of kindness and charity.
37 UDB During the time that Peter was in Lydda, she became sick and died. Some women there washed her body according to the Jewish custom. Then they covered her body with cloth and placed it in an upstairs room in her house. BSB BSB: At that time, however, she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upper room.
38 UDB Lydda was near the city of Joppa, so when the disciples heard that Peter was still in Lydda, they sent two men to go to Peter. When they arrived where Peter was, they urged him, "Please come immediately with us to Joppa!" BSB BSB: Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to urge him, “Come to us without delay.”
39 UDB Peter got ready right away and went with them. When he arrived at the house in Joppa, they took him to the upstairs room where Dorcas's body was lying. All the widows there stood around him. They were crying and showing him the tunics and other garments that Dorcas had made for people while she was still alive. BSB BSB: So 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.
40 UDB But Peter sent them all out of the room. Then he got down on his knees and prayed. Then, turning toward her body, he said, "Tabitha, stand up!" Immediately she opened her eyes and, when she saw Peter, she sat up. BSB BSB: Then 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.
41 UDB He grasped one of her hands and helped her to stand up. After he had summoned the believers and especially the widows among them to come back in, he showed them that she was alive again. BSB BSB: Peter took her by the hand and helped her up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her to them alive.
42 UDB Soon people everywhere in Joppa knew about that miracle, and as a result many people believed in the Lord Jesus. BSB BSB: This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.
43 UDB Peter stayed in Joppa many days with a man named Simon, who made leather from animal skins. BSB BSB: And Peter stayed for several days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.