9:1
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder
against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high
priest
9:2
and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,
so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or
women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
9:3
Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus,
suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
9:4
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
9:5
He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came,
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
9:6
But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what
you are to do."
9:7
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless
because they heard the voice but saw no one.
9:8
Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were
open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand
and brought him into Damascus.
9:9
For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor
drank.
9:10
Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The
Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He
answered, "Here I am, Lord."
9:11
The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street
called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a
man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying,
9:12
and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in
and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his
sight."
9:13
But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many
about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints
in Jerusalem;
9:14
and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind
all who invoke your name."
9:15
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an
instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before
Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;
9:16
I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the
sake of my name."
9:17
So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands
on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus,
who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so
that you may regain your sight and be filled with the
Holy Spirit."
9:18
And immediately something like scales fell from his
eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was
baptized,
9:19
and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,
9:20
and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the
synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."
[Return
to top]
30:1
I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, and
did not let my foes rejoice over me.
30:2
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have
healed me.
30:3
O LORD, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me
to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
30:4
Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and
give thanks to his holy name.
30:5
For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a
lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy
comes with the morning.
30:6
As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never
be moved."
30:7
By your favor, O LORD, you had established me as a
strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed.
30:8
To you, O LORD, I cried, and to the LORD I made
supplication:
30:9
"What profit is there in my death, if I go down to
the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your
faithfulness?
30:10
Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me! O LORD, be my
helper!"
30:11
You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken
off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
30:12
so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O LORD
my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
[Return
to top]
5:11
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels
surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the
elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands
of thousands,
5:12
singing with full voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that
was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom
and might and honor and glory and blessing!"
5:13
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and
under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them,
singing, "To the one seated on the throne and to
the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!"
5:14
And the four living creatures said, "Amen!"
And the elders fell down and worshiped.
[Return
to top]
21:1
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the
disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself
in this way.
21:2
Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called
the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of
Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.
21:3
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going
fishing." They said to him, "We will go with
you." They went out and got into the boat, but that
night they caught nothing.
21:4
Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the
disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
21:5
Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish,
have you?" They answered him, "No."
21:6
He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of
the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it,
and now they were not able to haul it in because there
were so many fish.
21:7
That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It
is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was
the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and
jumped into the sea.
21:8
But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the
net full of fish, for they were not far from the land,
only about a hundred yards off.
21:9
When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire
there, with fish on it, and bread.
21:10
Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that
you have just caught."
21:11
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore,
full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and
though there were so many, the net was not torn.
21:12
Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast."
Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who
are you?" because they knew it was the Lord.
21:13
Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and
did the same with the fish.
21:14
This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the
disciples after he was raised from the dead.
21:15
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon
Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than
these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know
that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my
lambs."
21:16
A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John,
do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord;
you know that I love you." Jesus said to him,
"Tend my sheep."
21:17
He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John,
do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to
him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he
said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know
that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my
sheep.
21:18
Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used
to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished.
But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take
you where you do not wish to go."
21:19
(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he
would glorify God.) After this he said to him,
"Follow me."
[Return
to top]
