The Conversion of Saul
(Acts 22.6-16Acts 26.12-18)1 In the meantime Saul kept up his violent threats of murder against the followers of the Lord. He went to the High Priest 2 and asked for letters of introduction to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he should find there any followers of the Way of the Lord, he would be able to arrest them, both men and women, and bring them back to Jerusalem.
3 As Saul was coming near the city of Damascus, suddenly a light from the sky flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” he asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you persecute,” the voice said. 6 “But get up and go into the city, where you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men who were traveling with Saul had stopped, not saying a word; they heard the voice but could not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground and opened his eyes, but could not see a thing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was not able to see, and during that time he did not eat or drink anything.
10 There was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. He had a vision, in which the Lord said to him, “Ananias!”
“Here I am, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord said to him, “Get ready and go to Straight Street, and at the house of Judas ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying, 12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he might see again.”
13 Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and about all the terrible things he has done to your people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come to Damascus with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who worship you.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go, because I have chosen him to serve me, to make my name known to Gentiles and kings and to the people of Israel. 16 And I myself will show him all that he must suffer for my sake.”
17 So Ananias went, entered the house where Saul was, and placed his hands on him. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord has sent me—Jesus himself, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here. He sent me so that you might see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 At once something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he was able to see again. He stood up and was baptized; 19 and after he had eaten, his strength came back.
Saul Preaches in Damascus
Saul stayed for a few days with the believers in Damascus. 20 He went straight to the synagogues and began to preach that Jesus was the Son of God.
21 All who heard him were amazed and asked, “Isn't he the one who in Jerusalem was killing those who worship that man Jesus? And didn't he come here for the very purpose of arresting those people and taking them back to the chief priests?”
22 But Saul's preaching became even more powerful, and his proofs that Jesus was the Messiah were so convincing that the Jews who lived in Damascus could not answer him.
23 After many days had gone by, the Jews met together and made plans to kill Saul, 24 but he was told of their plan. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But one night Saul's followers took him and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
Saul in Jerusalem
26 Saul went to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples. But they would not believe that he was a disciple, and they were all afraid of him. 27 Then Barnabas came to his help and took him to the apostles. He explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had spoken to him. He also told them how boldly Saul had preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus. 28 And so Saul stayed with them and went all over Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He also talked and disputed with the Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers found out about this, they took Saul to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
31 And so it was that the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace. Through the help of the Holy Spirit it was strengthened and grew in numbers, as it lived in reverence for the Lord.
Peter in Lydda and Joppa
32 Peter traveled everywhere, and on one occasion he went to visit God's people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he met a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had not been able to get out of bed for eight years. 34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ makes you well. Get up and make your bed.” At once Aeneas got up. 35 All the people living in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
36 In Joppa there was a woman named Tabitha, who was a believer. (Her name in Greek is Dorcas, meaning “a deer.”) She spent all her time doing good and helping the poor. 37 At that time she got sick and died. Her body was washed and laid in a room upstairs. 38 Joppa was not very far from Lydda, and when the believers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him with the message, “Please hurry and come to us.” 39 So Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, he was taken to the room upstairs, where all the widows crowded around him, crying and showing him all the shirts and coats that Dorcas had made while she was alive. 40 Peter put them all out of the room, and knelt down and prayed; then he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 Peter reached over and helped her get up. Then he called all the believers, including the widows, and presented her alive to them. 42 The news about this spread all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed on in Joppa for many days with a tanner of leather named Simon.
Urle dhugore galo gwa Shaawul
1 Athibi Shaawul abiŋa gi calmiz ja Kweleny dhuŋuna dhadhice ŋidhenyo a dhadhirinya, ŋwela di kweleny gwa gusus. 2 Ŋwothaije galo jawaabaat jai ja majaamiⓐ gwa Dimishga, di ada gwimabuje lijo la Dhai ibidha, lina liro loma i lina liro la, ŋwulguke ŋwulodhadha gi Urushaliim. 3 A dina idhuŋw, ŋwudoga githo Dimishga, an fure uladha ganu dugun gwina gwulo gi Sama. 4 Ŋwide kwiyaŋ, ŋwudiŋini ŋwal ŋwina ŋwaicinu, Shaawul gwai, Shaawul gwai, kworaŋ athinyinbi dhagirini? 5 Ŋwubarnu, Kweleny gwai, au gwun ei? A Kweleny arnu, Nyi gwan Yasuuⓐ, gwina gwathaŋan dhagirini. Dhuŋun dhibur duguŋa daŋa upe doloŋa. 6 Ŋwubigalo ŋwali galo dir, ŋwarnu, Kweleny gwai, Ŋa gwibupo dinyapaŋa? Abi Kweleny aicinu, Diro ŋuni gi mediina, a laŋa abiŋaijo aŋ gwina gwiŋir daŋa apai. 7 Abi liji lina lidhil lai dhuna jigwoiny, aldiŋini ŋwal athilbaŋudhi gweda no. 8 A Shaawul direlaŋ kwiyaŋ; a je juŋun jiginu, athuŋw buthi ŋoma daŋa kwijo gweda no. Albodha gi dhoi dhuŋun, algwuni gi Dimishga. 9 Ŋwuje ŋwamun thiril athuŋw daŋudhi galo, i athuŋw ithi i athuŋw iyo no.
Shaawul gi Dimishga
10 A thilmiz dheta dhijo Dimishga dhina dhan H̱anaaniiya, a Kweleny abiŋaijo gi dhuŋun dhina dhiro ŋinena dhiŋidi ŋwaici, H̱anaaniiya gwai. Ŋwarnu, Nyi gwo mina, Kweleny gwai. 11 A Kweleny aicinu, Diro ŋela gi dhai dhina dhan Gwidhunu galo, a ŋuthe galo gi dunu gwa Yahuudha kwiji gwai gweta gwina gwiro gwa Ṯarsuus gwina gwan Shaawul. Aŋadhi, gwa gwabiŋaijo Kaloŋa. 12 A ŋwaŋa gi dhuŋun dhina dhiro ŋinena dhiŋidi kwijo gweta gwina gwan H̱anaaniiya dudha, ŋwungeta dhoi alaŋ dhuŋun duŋwure je ganu. 13 Abi H̱anaaniiya aicinu, Kweleny gwai, nyi gwidiŋinu dhuŋuna gi liji loinyadho dhan kwiji ibigwa, dhina dhathuŋw apai dhina dhike gi liji luŋa lina liŋir didirel gi Urushaliim. 14 A mina gwuthi ŋelenya gi leleny la gusus duŋwguke ŋediŋaije peth lina lathurnie jiriny juŋa. 15 Abi Kweleny aicinu, Idhibai, gwiro gweta gwina gwibupiny duŋwapai jiriny jiny gi je ganu ja Liumam a maluuk a keleŋa ga Israayiil. 16 Gwaji gwinyaŋajo ŋida ŋoinyadho ŋina ŋadhumeye ŋeduŋw ŋiya gi dhuŋun dha jiriny jiny. 17 A H̱anaaniiya ela, ŋwuni gi dunu; ŋwungeta doi alaŋ duŋun, ŋwaici, Mega gwai gwina gwan Shaawul, Kweleny gwina gwan Yasuuⓐ, gwina gwaŋinijaŋa gi dhai dhina dhidhaŋana gwukejiny, daŋa uriye je ganu a ŋoinyadhe Dhigirim dhai dhina Dhiŋir. 18 A kaija ibige a ŋidi ide gi je ganu juŋun ŋina ŋiro ŋinena jibiriŋur ŋwudaŋa galo babraŋ. Ŋwudire, ŋwuⓐamidhini. 19 A dina muŋw eny, ŋwubur nono. A Shaawulŋa jalo calmiz jai jina jijo gi Dimishga ŋwamun coŋ. 20 Ŋwunabiŋadhaijo lijo ganu gi majaamiⓐ dhuŋuna dha al Masiiẖ, darnu ŋeda gwiro Ŋari ŋa Kalo. 21 Abi liji peth ali galo dir lina lidiŋinu, alarnu, Gwati gwiro ibigwa gwina gwathirinya lijo gi Urushaliim lina lathurnie jiriny jai ibija na? A gwimila mina gi dhuŋun ibidha, duŋwulguke ŋwulodhadha gi leleny la gusus. 22 Abi Shaawul burani nono, athuŋw alije Yahuud galo dir lina lathije gi Dimishga, athuŋwulaicinu titiganu ibigwa gwiro al Masiiẖ. 23 A dina ma ŋwamun ŋwoinyadho erna, a Yahuud abiŋaijiye dilrinya, 24 abi Shaawul liŋa dhuŋuna dhegen, athil ethadhe our ninaŋin a gigilo, alari gwalrinya. 25 Abi calmiz odha gile, algeta ŋuni ganu aluleje galo kwaribainy alaŋ.
Shaawul gi Urushaliim a Ṯarsuus
26 A dina ma Shaawul ela gi Urushaliim, ŋwubupe dilje calmiz jai; albidhenya peth, athiluminyu darnu gwiro thilmiz no. 27 Abi Barnaaba apa gi liji lina lukejinu, ŋuwlabiŋaijo ŋwulaŋajo darnu akwai Shaawul gwaŋadhi Kwelenya dina idhuŋw gi dhai a Kweleny abiŋaijo, a darnu akwai ŋeda gwabiŋaijo lijo gi Dimishga gi jiriny ja Yasuuⓐ re gwai ganu. 28 Athilje ŋediŋa lai athiluni a altu gi Urushaliim, 29 athuŋw abiŋaijo lijo gi jiriny ja Kweleny gwina gwan Yasuuⓐ ŋwure ganu. Athil abiŋaijiye Yuunaaniyiin ŋalai; athil bari gwalrinya. 30 A dina ma limega liŋa dhuŋuna ibidha, alodhadha gi Ges̱ariiya, alukeje gi Ṯarsuus. 31 Athibi kanaayis peth ga Yahuudiiya a ga Jaliil a ga Saamira uthi audhaijiyuŋw galo athuŋw biŋa, a athuŋw elila gi ŋidheny ŋa Kweleny, a gi gathaje uwa gwa Dhigirim dhina Dhiŋir, athuŋw oinyadhe.
Buṯrus gwiŋiriyo lijo nono gi Ludda
32 A dina idhi Buṯrus kalo peth, ŋwule ko gi liji lina liŋir didirel lina lathije gi Ludda. 33 Ŋwubuje kwijo gweta mine gwina gwan Iniyaas, gwina gwidhiro galo gi lagram alaŋ jidhileo dubaŋ, gwaio aŋina nono. 34 A Buṯrus abiŋaijo, ŋwaici, Iniyaas gwai, Yasuuⓐ al Masiiẖ gwaŋa iŋiriye nono; diro, ŋa gilce lagram luŋa. Ŋwundira ganu. 35 A liji peth la Ludda a la Saaruun aŋa, alaura di Kweleny.
Ṯaabiitha
36 A thilmiz dheta je gi Yaafa dhina dhan Ṯaabiitha, gwina gwan Qazaala. A kwa ibigwa gwuthi ŋiro ŋina ŋiŋir ŋoinyadho athuŋw dhedha lijo ŋida tur. 37 A ŋwamun ibiŋwe ŋwumi, ŋwai; a dina maluye, aldhiriye galo gi dunu gwina gwathije agwilaŋ. 38 A Ludda gwijo githo gi Yaafa, a calmiz diŋini darnu Buṯrus gwo mine, alukeje lijo ram dugun, alari gwaneladha ganu degen. 39 A Buṯrus dire alela ŋeda ŋalai. A dina muŋw obani, alodha algwalo gi dunu gwina gwathije agwilaŋ; a linina dhunejo galo peth alare, alaŋajo ŋwuga a ciraŋ jina jigegitilo Ṯaabiitha dina jil lai. 40 Abi Buṯrus teye peth por, ŋwujalo ŋwurko ŋwai, ŋwabiŋaijo Kaloŋa; ŋwubaji ŋwurla gi aŋinu ŋwarnu, Ṯaabiitha gwai, diro. A ŋeda igiye je juŋun, a dina muŋw aŋa Buṯrusuŋw ŋwudire ŋwujalo. 41 A ŋeda mutha gi dhoi ŋwidirejalaŋ. Ŋwuburnie lijo lina liŋir didirel a linina, ŋwulwurijo gwimidho. 42 A dhuŋun ibidha liŋini gi Yaafa peth; a liji loinyadho uminyi Kwelenya. 43 A Buṯrus jalo ŋwamun ŋwoinyadho gi Yaafa gi dunu gwa Simⓐaan gwina gwathapai ŋiro ŋadhideye jurna.