1 Saul still breathing out nothing
but threats and slaughter
against the disciples of
the Lord,
2 went to the high
priest, and demanded letters
for the synagogues of Damascus,
that if he found any of this
sect, whether men or women,
he might bring them bound
to Jerusalem.
-- --
3 As he was on his journey,
and near Damascus, on a
sudden, a light from heaven
surrounded him,
4 and he fell
to the ground, and heard a
voice which said to him, Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou
me?
5 and he said, who art
thou, Lord? and the Lord
said, I am Jesus whom thou
persecutest: [it is hard for
thee to kick against the goad.
6 then trembling with the fright
Saul said, Lord, what wilt
thou have me to do? and the
Lord said to him,] but rise,
and go into the city, and you
shall be told what you must do.
7 the mean while the men who
accompany'd him, remain'd
astonish'd, hearing a voice,
but seeing no one.
8 at length
Saul rose from the ground;
and when he opened his eyes,
he could not see: so that they
led him by the hand, and
brought him to Damascus,
9 where he was three days
without sight, and did neither
eat nor drink.
10 Now there was a disciple
at Damascus, named Ananias,
to whom the Lord said
-- --
in a vision, Ananias! and
he said, Lord, here I am.
11 and the Lord said unto him,
arise, and go to the street called
Straight, and enquire at the
house of Judas, for one Saul
of Tarsus: for he is there
at prayer.
12 (at that very instant
Saul saw in a vision
the said Ananias come in,
and put his hand on him, to
restore his sight.)
13 then Ananias
answered, Lord, I have
heard from many that this
man has done a world of
mischief to thy saints at Jerusalem:
he is now here,
14
and is impower'd by the chief
priests, to imprison all that
make profession of thy name.
15 go, said the Lord to him:
for he is the instrument I
have chosen, to bear my
name to the Gentiles, to
kings, and to the children of
Israel.
16 for I will make him
see how much he must suffer
for my name.
17 Ananias therefore
departed, and being arrived
at the house, he put
his hands on Saul, and said,
brother Saul, the Lord, even
Jesus that appeared to you on
your journey hither, hath sent
me, that you might obtain
your sight, and be filled with
the holy spirit.
18 immediately
there fell from his eyes something
like scales, and he recover'd
his sight; upon which
-- --
he instantly arose, and was
baptized.
19 and when he had
taken some food, he was refresh'd.
after which Saul
staid some time with the disciples
at Damascus.
20 Immediately he maintained
in the synagogues, that
Jesus was the son of God.
21 the audience were all amazed,
and said, is not this he
that persecuted the professors
of this doctrine at Jerusalem,
and came here on purpose to
carry them prisoners to the
chief priests?
22 however Saul
still gain'd ground, and confounded
the Jews of Damascus,
proving that Jesus was
the Messias.
23 A good while after, the
Jews conspir'd to kill him:
24 but Saul was appriz'd of their
plot. and as they were night
and day upon the watch at
the gates, in order to kill
him,
25 the disciples took him
by night, and let him down
the wall in a basket.
26 when
Saul was come to Jerusalem,
he try'd to associate himself
with the disciples: but they
were all afraid of him, and
could not be persuaded that
he was a disciple.
27 thereupon
Barnabas took him with him
to the apostles, and related
to them how the Lord
-- --
had appear'd to him on his
journey, and had spoken to
him, and how publickly Saul
had preach'd at Damascus
in the name of Jesus.
28 then
he convers'd freely with the
apostles at Jerusalem:
29 and he
openly preach'd in the name of
the Lord Jesus, and disputed
against the Hellenists, who
therefore plotted against his
life:
30 which when the brethren
knew, they brought him
down to Cesarea, and sent
him away to Tarsus.
31 Then the churches in all
Judea, Galilee, and Samaria,
were unmolested and establish'd,
and by their religious
conduct, and the assistance of
the holy spirit, grew more
extensive.
32 now as Peter was
making a general visitation,
he went to Lydda to see the
converts in that city,
33 where
finding a man named Eneas,
a paralytic, who had kept
his bed eight years,
34 Peter
said to him, Eneas, Jesus,
who is the Messiah, gives
thee health: rise, and make
your bed your self: upon
which he immediately rose.
35 and all that dwelt at Lydda,
and Saron, saw him,
and became converts to the
Lord.
36 At Joppa there was a
disciple named Tabitha, that
-- --
is in Greek, note Dorcas: this
woman was very active in
all the offices of benevolence
and charity.
37 she happen'd
to fall sick at that time, and
died: after they had bath'd
her body, they laid her out
in an upper chamber.
38 as
Lydda was near Joppa, and
the disciples having heard
that Peter was there, they
sent two men to him to desire
he would come to them without
delay.
39 Peter immediately went
with them, and when he
was come, they conducted
him to the upper chamber:
and all the widows advanc'd
to him weeping, and shew'd
the robes and garments which
Dorcas made while she was
with them.
40 but Peter turn'd
them all out, and kneeled
down and prayed, then turning
towards the body, Tabitha,
said he, arise immediately.
she opened her eyes:
and when she saw Peter,
she sat up.
41 Peter lent her
his hand, and lift her up;
and having called the saints
and widows, he presented her
alive.
42 this was soon spread
thro' all Joppa; and many
believed in the Lord.
43 so that
Peter staid there a considerable
time with one Simon a
tanner.
-- --
Mace [1729], THE NEW TESTAMENT IN Greek and English. Containing the ORIGINAL TEXT Corrected from the Authority of the most Authentic Manuscripts: AND A NEW VERSION Form'd agreeably to the Illustrations of the most Learned Commentators and Critics: WITH NOTES and VARIOUS READINGS, AND A Copious Alphabetical Index (Printed for J. ROBERTS [etc.], LONDON) [word count] [B11200].