New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Acts 9
1
Meanwhile, Saul continued to oppose the Lord's followers. He said they would be put to death. He went to the high priest.
Reference
2
He asked the priest for letters to the synagogues in Damascus. He wanted to find men and women who belonged to the Way of Jesus. The letters would allow him to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
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3
On his journey, Saul approached Damascus. Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
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4
He fell to the ground. He heard a voice speak to him. "Saul! Saul!" the voice said. "Why are you opposing me?"
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5
"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus," he replied. "I am the one you are opposing.
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6
Now get up and go into the city. There you will be told what you must do."
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 10:32
Acts 10:22
Romans 10:3
Romans 5:20
Romans 10:20
Romans 7:9
Philippians 2:12
Resurrection
Acts 22:10
Acts 26:16
7
The men traveling with Saul stood there. They weren't able to speak. They had heard the sound. But they didn't see anyone.
Reference
8
Saul got up from the ground. He opened his eyes, but he couldn't see. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
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9
For three days he was blind. He didn't eat or drink anything.
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Parallel theme
Esther 4:16
10
In Damascus there was a believer named Ananias. The Lord called out to him in a vision. "Ananias!" he said. "Yes, Lord," he answered.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
Acts 10:3
Acts 22:12
Genesis 22:1
Genesis 31:11
2 Samuel 15:26
References Lord
Isaiah 6:8
Exodus 3:4
1 Samuel 3:4
11
The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. Ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying.
Reference
📍 Locations
People
12
In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias. The man has come and placed his hands on him. Now he will be able to see again."
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Parallel theme
Mark 5:23
13
"Lord," Ananias answered, "I've heard many reports about this man. They say he has done great harm to God's people in Jerusalem.
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14
Now he has come here to arrest all those who worship you. The chief priests have given him authority to do this."
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15
But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! I have chosen this man to work for me. He will carry my name to those who aren't Jews and to their kings. He will bring my name to the people of Israel.
Reference
Kingdom
Matthew 10:18
Parallel theme
Romans 11:13
Romans 1:5
Jeremiah 1:5
1 Timothy 2:7
2 Timothy 2:4
Acts 22:21
1 Corinthians 15:10
John 15:16
References Lord
Acts 13:2
17
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. He placed his hands on Saul. "Brother Saul," he said, "you saw the Lord Jesus. He appeared to you on the road as you were coming here. He has sent me so that you will be able to see again. You will be filled with the Holy Spirit."
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18
Right away something like scales fell from Saul's eyes. And he could see again. He got up and was baptized.
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19
After eating some food, he got his strength back. Saul spent several days with the believers in Damascus.
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21
All who heard him were amazed. They asked, "Isn't he the man who caused great trouble in Jerusalem for those who worship Jesus? Hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?"
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22
But Saul grew more and more powerful. The Jews living in Damascus couldn't believe what was happening. Saul proved to them that Jesus is the Christ.
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23
After many days, the Jews had a meeting. They planned to kill Saul.
24
But he learned about their plan. Day and night they watched the city gates closely in order to kill him.
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25
But his followers helped him escape by night. They lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
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26
When Saul came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the believers. But they were all afraid of him. They didn't believe he was really one of Jesus' followers.
Reference
References Jerusalem
Acts 26:20
27
But Barnabas took him to the apostles. He told them about Saul's journey. He said that Saul had seen the Lord. He told how the Lord had spoken to Saul. Barnabas also said that Saul had preached without fear in Jesus' name in Damascus.
Reference
28
So Saul stayed with the believers. He moved about freely in Jerusalem. He spoke boldly in the Lord's name.
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Parallel theme
Acts 1:21
29
He talked and argued with Jews who followed Greek practices. But they tried to kill him.
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30
The other believers heard about this. They took Saul down to Caesarea. From there they sent him off to Tarsus.
Reference
📍 Tarsus
31
Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. The Holy Spirit gave the church strength and boldness. So they grew in numbers. And they worshiped the Lord.
Reference
Holy
Romans 5:5
Parallel theme
Acts 8:1
Nehemiah 5:9
References Lord
Psalm 111:10
Isaiah 33:6
Proverbs 23:17
Psalm 86:11
Proverbs 1:7
Job 28:28
Proverbs 8:13
33
There he found a disabled man named Aeneas. For eight years the man had spent most of his time in bed.
Reference
Parallel theme
Luke 13:16
34
"Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up! Take care of your mat!" So Aeneas got up right away.
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 3:16
References Jesus
Acts 16:18
Matthew 8:3
References Peter
Acts 3:12
Resurrection
Acts 3:6
Matthew 9:6
Acts 4:10
35
Everyone who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him. They turned to the Lord.
Reference
📍 Lydda
Parallel theme
1 Chronicles 5:16
1 Chronicles 27:29
References Lord
Acts 11:21
Acts 9:42
Isaiah 35:2
2 Corinthians 3:16
36
In Joppa there was a believer named Tabitha. Her name in the Greek language was Dorcas. She was always doing good and helping poor people.
Reference
People
Good
Titus 2:7
Titus 3:8
Hebrews 13:21
Titus 2:14
Ephesians 2:10
Parallel theme
2 Chronicles 2:16
Acts 10:31
James 1:27
Ezra 3:7
John 15:5
37
About that time she became sick and died. Her body was washed and placed in a room upstairs.
Reference
38
Lydda was near Joppa. The believers heard that Peter was in Lydda. So they sent two men to him. They begged him, "Please come at once!"
Reference
📍 Lydda
Parallel theme
Acts 9:36
39
Peter went with them. When he arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him crying. They showed him the robes and other clothes Dorcas had made while she was still alive.
Reference
40
Peter sent them all out of the room. Then he got down on his knees and prayed. He turned toward the dead woman. He said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up.
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41
He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows. He brought her to them. They saw that she was alive.
Reference
Chapter Summary
Acts 9 describes one of the most important changes in the history of Christianity, as Saul, who has been violently attacking Christians, meets the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus and is transformed from a persecutor into a powerful preacher of the Gospel.
Saul begins the chapter traveling toward Damascus with official authority to arrest followers of Jesus, but on the way he is surrounded by a bright light from heaven and hears Jesus asking why he is persecuting Him.
Saul becomes blind and must be led into Damascus, where he spends three days without eating or drinking while waiting for further instructions.
God then speaks to a Christian disciple named Ananias, telling him to visit Saul even though Ananias knows that Saul has been hurting Christians and has come to Damascus intending to arrest them.
Ananias obeys, calls Saul his brother, places his hands on him, and Saul's sight is restored before he is baptized and welcomed into the Christian community.
The change is immediate and dramatic because Saul begins preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God, leaving people amazed that the same man who once tried to destroy the church is now defending the faith he once hated.
Saul's preaching becomes stronger, but opposition quickly follows, and people in Damascus make plans to kill him, forcing his new Christian friends to lower him through an opening in the city wall in a basket so that he can escape.
When Saul later arrives in Jerusalem, the believers are afraid to accept him because they remember his past, but Barnabas speaks for him, explains what happened on the road to Damascus, and helps the apostles recognize that Saul has truly become a follower of Jesus.
Saul then preaches boldly in Jerusalem, but once again his opponents want to kill him, so the believers send him away toward Tarsus, his hometown.
The story then shifts back to Peter, who travels through the region strengthening the churches and performs two remarkable miracles.
In Lydda, Peter meets Aeneas, a man who has been paralyzed for eight years, and tells him that Jesus Christ heals him, after which Aeneas immediately gets up and many people in the surrounding area turn to the Lord.
In Joppa, a respected Christian woman named Tabitha, known for helping poor people and making clothes for widows, becomes sick and dies.
The believers send for Peter, who arrives, prays, and tells Tabitha to get up, after which she opens her eyes and sits up alive.
News of this miracle spreads throughout Joppa, and many people believe in the Lord.
The chapter ends with Peter staying in Joppa with Simon the leatherworker, a small detail that prepares the story for the next major step in Acts, when Peter will be led to meet Cornelius, a Gentile who is seeking God.
The main message of Acts 9 is that Jesus can completely change a person's life, even when that person has previously done great harm to His followers.
Saul's transformation shows that God's grace can reach someone who appears to be an enemy, while Ananias demonstrates the courage required to forgive and welcome someone whose past makes trust difficult.
At the same time, Peter's ministry shows that the power of Jesus continues working through the apostles as the Gospel spreads from one city to another.
The chapter therefore connects personal transformation with the wider growth of the church: Saul is changed from persecutor to preacher, Peter continues healing and strengthening believers, and the Christian message keeps moving into new communities.
Acts 9 also prepares for an important change in the direction of the book, because Saul will eventually become the central missionary to the Gentiles, while Peter is about to receive a vision that will help the church understand that the Gospel is meant not only for Jews but also for people from every nation.
Saul begins the chapter traveling toward Damascus with official authority to arrest followers of Jesus, but on the way he is surrounded by a bright light from heaven and hears Jesus asking why he is persecuting Him.
Saul becomes blind and must be led into Damascus, where he spends three days without eating or drinking while waiting for further instructions.
God then speaks to a Christian disciple named Ananias, telling him to visit Saul even though Ananias knows that Saul has been hurting Christians and has come to Damascus intending to arrest them.
Ananias obeys, calls Saul his brother, places his hands on him, and Saul's sight is restored before he is baptized and welcomed into the Christian community.
The change is immediate and dramatic because Saul begins preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God, leaving people amazed that the same man who once tried to destroy the church is now defending the faith he once hated.
Saul's preaching becomes stronger, but opposition quickly follows, and people in Damascus make plans to kill him, forcing his new Christian friends to lower him through an opening in the city wall in a basket so that he can escape.
When Saul later arrives in Jerusalem, the believers are afraid to accept him because they remember his past, but Barnabas speaks for him, explains what happened on the road to Damascus, and helps the apostles recognize that Saul has truly become a follower of Jesus.
Saul then preaches boldly in Jerusalem, but once again his opponents want to kill him, so the believers send him away toward Tarsus, his hometown.
The story then shifts back to Peter, who travels through the region strengthening the churches and performs two remarkable miracles.
In Lydda, Peter meets Aeneas, a man who has been paralyzed for eight years, and tells him that Jesus Christ heals him, after which Aeneas immediately gets up and many people in the surrounding area turn to the Lord.
In Joppa, a respected Christian woman named Tabitha, known for helping poor people and making clothes for widows, becomes sick and dies.
The believers send for Peter, who arrives, prays, and tells Tabitha to get up, after which she opens her eyes and sits up alive.
News of this miracle spreads throughout Joppa, and many people believe in the Lord.
The chapter ends with Peter staying in Joppa with Simon the leatherworker, a small detail that prepares the story for the next major step in Acts, when Peter will be led to meet Cornelius, a Gentile who is seeking God.
The main message of Acts 9 is that Jesus can completely change a person's life, even when that person has previously done great harm to His followers.
Saul's transformation shows that God's grace can reach someone who appears to be an enemy, while Ananias demonstrates the courage required to forgive and welcome someone whose past makes trust difficult.
At the same time, Peter's ministry shows that the power of Jesus continues working through the apostles as the Gospel spreads from one city to another.
The chapter therefore connects personal transformation with the wider growth of the church: Saul is changed from persecutor to preacher, Peter continues healing and strengthening believers, and the Christian message keeps moving into new communities.
Acts 9 also prepares for an important change in the direction of the book, because Saul will eventually become the central missionary to the Gentiles, while Peter is about to receive a vision that will help the church understand that the Gospel is meant not only for Jews but also for people from every nation.