Saul Becomes a Follower of the Lord
(Acts 22.6-16Acts 26.12-18)1 Saul kept on threatening to kill the Lord's followers. He even went to the high priest 2 and asked for letters to the leaders of the synagogues in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord's Way. 3 When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?”
5 “Who are you?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus,” the Lord answered. “I am the one you are so cruel to. 6 Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.”
7 The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus, 9 and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.
10 A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, “Lord, here I am.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. When you get there, you will find a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. Saul is praying, 12 and he has seen a vision. He saw a man named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him, so he could see again.”
13 Ananias replied, “Lord, a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done to your followers in Jerusalem. 14 Now the chief priests have given him the power to come here and arrest anyone who worships in your name.”
15 The Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for worshiping in my name.”
17 Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, “Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 Suddenly something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see. He got up and was baptized. 19 Then he ate and felt much better.
Saul Preaches in Damascus
For several days Saul stayed with the Lord's followers in Damascus. 20 Soon he went to the synagogues and started telling people that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 Everyone who heard Saul was amazed and said, “Isn't this the man who caused so much trouble for those people in Jerusalem who worship in the name of Jesus? Didn't he come here to arrest them and take them to the chief priests?”
22 Saul preached with such power that he completely confused the Jewish people in Damascus, as he tried to show them that Jesus is the Messiah.
23 Later some of them made plans to kill Saul, 24 but he found out about it. He learned that they were guarding the gates of the city day and night in order to kill him. 25 Then one night his followers let him down over the city wall in a large basket.
Saul in Jerusalem
26 When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the followers. But they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe he was a true follower. 27 Then Barnabas helped him by taking him to the apostles. He explained how Saul had seen the Lord and how the Lord had spoken to him. Barnabas also said when Saul was in Damascus, he had spoken bravely in the name of Jesus.
28 Saul moved about freely with the followers in Jerusalem and told everyone about the Lord. 29 He was always arguing with the Jews who spoke Greek, and so they tried to kill him. 30 But the followers found out about this and took Saul to Caesarea. From there they sent him to the city of Tarsus.
31 The church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria now had a time of peace and kept on worshiping the Lord. The church became stronger, as the Holy Spirit encouraged it and helped it grow.
Peter Heals Aeneas
32 While Peter was traveling from place to place, he visited the Lord's followers who lived in the town of Lydda. 33 There he met a man named Aeneas, who for eight years had been sick in bed and could not move. 34 Peter said to Aeneas, “Jesus Christ has healed you! Get up and make up your bed.” At once he stood up.
35 Many people in the towns of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas and became followers of the Lord.
Peter Brings Dorcas Back to Life
36 In Joppa there was a follower named Tabitha. Her Greek name was Dorcas, which means “deer.” She was always doing good things for people and had given much to the poor. 37 But she got sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Joppa wasn't far from Lydda, and the followers heard that Peter was there. They sent two men to say to him, “Please come with us as quickly as you can!” 39 At once, Peter went with them.
The men took Peter upstairs into the room. Many widows were there crying. They showed him the coats and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was still alive.
40 After Peter had sent everyone out of the room, he knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the body of Dorcas and said, “Tabitha, get up!” The woman opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet.
Peter called in the widows and the other followers and showed them that Dorcas had been raised from death. 42 Everyone in Joppa heard what had happened, and many of them put their faith in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed on for a while in Joppa in the house of a man named Simon, who made leather.
Kushanduka kwa Saulo
(Mishingo 22:6-16Mishingo 26:12-18)1 Mu tjibaka itjetji Saulo wakabe atjizhelilane eshaka bulaya badiyiwa ba She. Kayenda ku Ntungamili we bapirisiti ngono 2 kankumbila hwalo dzinoyenda ku ng'umba dze mitembezelo ku Damasiko kuti ha angawana bamwe ikoko be Zila iyeyo bali balume kene bakadzi abatole abayise ku Jerusalema bali basungwa.
3 Kati ali mu gwendo gugwe abe pejo ne Damasiko, tjinyolotjo tjedza tjinodwa kudzimu tjikapenya kumpoteleka. 4 Kawila pasi, ngono kahwa hwi liti kunli, “Saulo, Saulo, apa unondidziyidzilani kene?”
5 Iye kati, “Ndimwi ani She?” Hwi likati, “Ndimi Jesu, iye waunodziyidza. 6 Ngwenu, milika ungine mu nzi, ngono unowobudziwa kuti uthameni.”
7 Balume bakabe beyenda na Saulo bakama ipapo basingalebeleke; behwa hwi koga basina wabanobona. 8 Saulo kamuka pasi, koga kati ezhula mesho awe, kasibone tjimwe. Ndizo bakankwebela mu Damasiko nge luboko. 9 Wakabe bhofu mazhuba matatu, ngono kasije kene kuli kung'wa tjimwe.
10 Mu Damasiko kwakabe kuna n'diyiwa unodang'wa kuyi Ananiyasi. She bakan'dana mu mbono beti, “Ananiyasi!” Iye kadabila eti, “Ndipano She.”
11 She kambudza kati, “Milika uyende ku ng'umba ya Judasi mu zila inodang'wa kuyi, Yakatambunuka ubhuzwe ngekwe nlume unodwa ku Taso unoyi Saulo, ngobe unotembezela. 12 Wabona mu mbono nlume unoyi Ananiyasi ezha embiga maboko kumpofunula.”
13 Ananiyasi kadabila kati, “She, ndakahwa nge bathu banjinji ngekwe nlume iwoyu nenge kuti wakathama bubi gungapani ku bayengemali benyu mu Jerusalema. 14 Wakazha muno nge simba linodwa ku bapirisiti bakulu kusunga bose banodana zina lenyu.”
15 Koga She bakati kuna Ananiyasi, “Yenda! Nlume iwoyu tjija tjangu tjandakashalula kuyisa zina langu kuna Bezwitjaba na bomambo babo kose neku bana be Iziraela. 16 Ndowonlakidza kuti wakafanila dziyila kungapani ngekwe zina langu.”
17 Ipapo Ananiyasi kayenda ku ng'umba iyeyo, ngono kangina muili. Kati ebiga Saulo maboko etembezelela kati, “Ikamu tjangu Saulo, She Jesu iye wakaboneka ku kuli mu zila yawakazha ndiyo, wandituma kuti ubone kakale ne kuti uzhale Meya yakayengemala.” 18 Tjinyolotjo zwithu zwinonga makwapa zwikawa mu mesho a Saulo ngono kabona kakale. Kamilika, ngono kadubikiwa, 19 ngono kati aja, kazhigwa kakale nge matatabuko awe.
Saulo unosumikila mu Damasiko
Saulo wakagala mazhuba ne bagalimoyo mu Damasiko. 20 Tjinyolotjo katangisa kusumikila ngekwa Jesu mu ng'umba ye mitembezelo eti, “Jesu Nkololo we Ndzimu.”
21 Ngono bose bakanhwa bakatjenama, ngono bakabhuzwa beti, “Apa ate iye nlume wakabe ebulaya banodana zina la Jesu mu Jerusalema kene? Kakale aazozhila kuti abasunge abayise ku bapirisiti bakulu kene?”
22 Koga Saulo kasimila mbeli, ngono kashanganya Bajuta banogala mu Damasiko misholo nge kubalakidza kuti Jesu ndiye Mesiya.
23 Kwakati shule kwe mazhuba manjinji Bajuta bakalangana kumbulaya, 24 koga kaziba ngekwe nlangano wabo. Bakabe belinda nkoba we nzi siku ne sikati kuti bambulaye. 25 Koga badiyiwa babe bakantola busiku bakan'delusila kuzhe bentjuludza guma ali mu itundu.
Saulo mu Jerusalema
26 Wakati eswika mu Jerusalema kagwisa kuzwishanganya ne badiyiwa, koga bose bakabe bentja basingagalemoyo kuti n'diyiwa. 27 Koga Bhanabhasi kantola, ngono kanzhisa ku batumwa. Kababudza sekwa Saulo akabona She mu gwendo gugwe, ngono She kalebeleka naye, kababudza sekwa Saulo akasumikila ana tjilopa mu Damasiko nge zina la Jesu. 28 Ndizo Saulo kagala nabo kayenda akasununguka mu Jerusalema elebeleka akasimisamoyo nge zina la Jesu. 29 Wakabe esumikila ana tjilopa enyanyayidzana ne Bajuta banoleba Tjigiriki, koga ibo bakagwisa kumbulaya. 30 Kukati zwikamu zwaziba ngekwa ikoku zwikantolela ku Sizariya ngono zwikantumila ku Taso.
31 Ipapo gubungano lose mu Judiya ne limu Galili ne limu Samariya likabe ne mbakiso, likasimisiwa, likanyaladziwa nge Meya yakayengemala, likakula litjilila mu kutja She.
Pita mu Lida ne Jopa
32 Pita kati etendeleka nge shango kayenda kunokumbabo bayengemali ku Lida. 33 Ikoko kawana nlume unoyi Aneasi wakabe atjibe nge makole ali zhanakadzi ali lele akalobgwa nge gulukadzi. 34 Pita kati kunli, “Aneasi, Jesu Kirisiti unokupodza. Milika uwalule.” Tjinyolotjo Eneasi kamilika. 35 Bose bagali be Lida ne Sharoni bakambona ndizo bakashandukila kuna She.
36 Mu Jopa kwakabe kuna n'diyiwa unodang'wa Tabhita. Zina lile mu Tjigiriki loyi Dokasi. Iye wakabe misi yose ethama mishingo mibuya ebhatsha bashayi. 37 Mazhuba iyawo kagwala ngono kafa, ngono bakati banngudza bakanladzika mu ng'umba ipezhugwi kwe imwe. 38 Nzi we Lida wakabe uli pejo ne Jopa. Ndizo badiyiwa bakati behwa kuti Pita umu Lida bakatuma balume babili kunli ngono bakankumbila beti, “Izha ku tili ngwenu usinonoke.” 39 Pita kamilika kayenda nabo, ngono kati eswika bakantathisila pezhugwi ku ng'umba iyeyo. Tjilikadzi dzose dzikama kumpoteleka dzilila dzinlakidza hazu ne zwiambalo zwimwe Dokasi zwaakabe athama atji nabo. 40 Pita kabadusila bose kuzhe kwe ng'umba; ipapo kathigama ngono katembezela, ngono kati etendebukila ku itumbu kati, “Tabhita, milika.” Tabhita kazhula mesho awe, ngono kati ebona Pita kamuka, ngono kagala. 41 Pita kambhata nge luboko, ngono kambatsha kuma nge makumbo. Ipapo kadana bayengemali ne tjilikadzi, ngono kabapa iye etjila. 42 Oku kwakazibgwa mu Jopa yose, ngono bathu banjinji bakagalamoyo muna She. 43 Pita kagala mu Jopa mazhuba manjinji, egala na Simoni nsuki we makukuta.