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.
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.