One Story That Leads to Jesus, Day 283
9Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers. So he went to the high priest.G1161G4569G2089G1709G547G2532G5408G1519G3101G2962G4334G749 2He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.G154G3844G846G1992G1519G1154G4314G4864G3704G1437G2147G5100G3598G5037G5607G435G2532G1135G71G1210G1519G2419 3As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him.G1161G846G4198G1722G1096G1448G1154G2532G1810G4015G846G5457G575G3772 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"G2532G4098G1909G1093G191G5456G3004G846G4549G4549G5101G1377G3165 5"Who are you, lord?" Saul asked And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!G1161G2036G5101G1488G2962G1161G2962G2036G1473G1510G2424G3739G4771G1377G4642G4671G2979G4314G2759 6Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."G5037G5141G2532G2284G2036G2962G5101G2309G3165G4160G2532G2962G4314G846G450G2532G1525G1519G4172G2532G2980G4671G5101G4571G1163G4160 7The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone's voice but saw no one!G1161G435G3588G4922G846G2476G1769G191G3303G5456G1161G2334G3367 8Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus.G1161G4569G1453G575G1093G1161G846G3788G455G991G3762G1161G5496G846G5496G1521G1519G1154 9He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.G2532G2258G5140G2250G3361G991G2532G3756G5315G3761G4095 10Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord!" he replied.G1161G2258G5100G3101G1722G1154G3686G367G2532G4314G846G2036G2962G1722G3705G367G1161G2036G2400G1473G2962 11The Lord said, "Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now.G1161G2962G4314G846G450G4198G1909G4505G3588G2564G2117G2532G2212G1722G3614G2455G3686G4569G5018G1063G2400G4336 12I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again."G2532G1492G1722G3705G435G3686G367G1525G2532G2007G5495G2007G846G3704G308 13"But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I've heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!G1161G367G611G2962G191G575G4183G4012G5127G435G3745G2556G4160G4675G40G1722G2419 14And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name."G2532G5602G2192G1849G3844G749G1210G3956G1941G4675G3686 15But the Lord said, "Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.G1161G2962G2036G4314G846G4198G3754G3778G2076G1589G4632G3427G941G3450G3686G1799G1484G2532G935G5037G5207G2474 16And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake."G1063G1473G5263G846G3745G846G1163G3958G5228G3450G3686G5228 17So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."G1161G367G565G2532G1525G1519G3614G2532G2007G5495G1909G846G2036G80G4549G2962G2424G3700G4671G1722G3598G3739G2064G649G3165G3704G308G2532G4130G40G4151 18Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.G2532G2112G634G575G846G3788G5616G3013G308G3916G5037G450G2532G907 19Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days.G2532G2983G5160G1765G1161G1096G4569G5100G2250G3326G3101G1722G1154 20And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is indeed the Son of God!"G2532G2112G2784G5547G1722G4864G3754G3778G2076G5207G2316 21All who heard him were amazed. "Isn't this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus' followers in Jerusalem?" they asked. "And didn't he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?"G1161G3956G191G1839G2532G3004G2076G3756G3778G4199G3588G1941G5124G3686G1722G2419G2532G2064G5602G1519G5124G1519G2443G71G846G1210G1909G749 22Saul's preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn't refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.G1161G4569G1743G3123G1743G2532G4797G2453G3588G2730G1722G1154G4822G3754G3778G2076G5547 23After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him.G1161G5613G2425G2250G4137G2453G4823G337G846 24They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot.G1161G846G1917G1097G4569G5037G3906G4439G2250G2532G3571G3704G337G846 25So during the night, some of the other believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall.G1161G3101G2983G846G3571G2524G5465G1223G5038G1722G4711 26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer!G1161G4569G3854G1519G2419G3987G2853G3101G2532G5399G3956G5399G846G4100G3361G3754G2076G3101 27Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.G1161G921G1949G846G71G4314G652G2532G1334G846G4459G1492G2962G1722G3598G2532G3754G2980G846G2532G4459G3955G1722G1154G1722G3686G2424 28So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.G2532G2258G3326G846G1531G2532G1607G1722G2419 29He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him.G2532G2980G3955G1722G3686G2962G2424G5037G2532G4802G4314G1675G1161G2021G337G846 30When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown.G1161G80G1921G2609G846G2609G1519G2542G2532G1821G846G1821G1519G5019 31The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.G3303G3767G2192G1577G1515G2596G3650G2449G2532G1056G2532G4540G3618G2532G4198G5401G2962G2532G3874G40G4151G4129 32Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda.G1161G1096G1330G4074G1330G1223G3956G2718G2532G4314G40G3588G2730G3069 33There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.G1161G1563G2147G5100G444G3686G132G2621G1909G2895G1537G3638G2094G3739G2258G3886 34Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!" And he was healed instantly.G2532G4074G2036G846G132G2424G5547G2390G4571G2390G450G2532G4766G4572G4766G2532G450G2112 35Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.G2532G3956G2730G3069G2532G4565G1492G846G3748G1994G1909G2962 36There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor.G1161G2258G1722G2445G5100G3102G3686G5000G3739G1329G3004G1393G3778G846G2258G4134G18G2041G2532G1654G3739G4160 37About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room.G1161G1096G1722G1565G2250G770G599G1161G846G3068G846G5087G1722G5253 38But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, "Please come as soon as possible!"G1161G5607G3069G1451G2445G3101G191G3754G4074G2076G1722G846G649G4314G846G1417G435G3870G3635G3361G3635G1330G2193G846 39So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them.G1161G4074G450G4905G846G3739G3854G321G1519G5253G2532G3956G5503G3936G846G2799G2532G1925G5509G2532G2440G3745G1393G4160G5607G3326G846 40But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, "Get up, Tabitha." And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up!G1161G4074G1544G3956G1854G5087G1119G4336G2532G1994G4314G4983G2036G5000G450G1161G455G846G3788G2532G1492G4074G339 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive.G1161G1325G846G5495G450G846G450G1161G5455G40G2532G5503G3936G846G2198 42The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord.G1161G1096G1110G2596G3650G2445G2532G4183G4100G1909G2962 43And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a tanner of hides.G1161G1096G846G3306G2425G2250G1722G2445G3844G5100G4613G1038
10In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.G1161G2258G5100G435G1722G2542G3686G2883G1543G1537G4686G2564G2483 2He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.G2152G2532G5399G2316G4862G3956G846G3624G5037G4160G4183G1654G2992G2532G1189G2316G1275 3One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said.G1492G1722G3705G5320G5616G1766G5610G2250G32G2316G1525G4314G846G2532G2036G846G2883 4Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel. And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!G1161G816G846G1096G1719G2532G2036G5101G2076G2962G1161G2036G846G4675G4335G2532G4675G1654G305G1519G3422G1799G2316 5Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.G2532G3568G3992G435G1519G2445G2532G3343G4613G3739G1941G4074 6He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore."G3778G3579G3844G5100G4613G1038G3739G3614G2076G3844G2281G3778G2980G4671G5101G4571G1163G4160 7As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants.G1161G5613G32G3588G2980G2883G565G5455G1417G846G3610G2532G2152G4757G4342G846G4342 8He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.G2532G1834G537G846G649G846G1519G2445 9The next day as Cornelius's messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon,G1161G1887G1565G3596G2532G1448G4172G4074G305G1909G1430G4336G4012G1623G5610 10and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.G1161G1096G4361G2532G2309G1089G1161G1565G3903G846G1968G1909G1611 11He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners.G2532G2334G3772G455G2532G5100G4632G2597G1909G846G5613G3173G3607G1210G5064G746G2532G2524G1909G1093 12In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds.G1722G3739G5225G3956G5074G1093G2532G2342G2532G2062G2532G4071G3772 13Then a voice said to him, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat them."G2532G1096G5456G4314G846G450G4074G2380G2532G5315 14"No, Lord," Peter declared. "I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean."G1161G4074G2036G3365G2962G3754G5315G3763G5315G3956G2839G2228G169 15But the voice spoke again: "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean."G2532G5456G4314G846G3825G1537G1208G3739G2316G2511G2840G3361G4771G2840 16The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.G1161G5124G1096G1909G5151G2532G4632G353G3825G1519G3772 17Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon's house. Standing outside the gate,G1161G5613G4074G1280G1722G1438G5101G3705G3739G1492G302G1498G2400G2532G435G3588G649G575G2883G1331G4613G3614G2186G1909G4440 18they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there.G2532G5455G4441G1487G4613G3588G1941G4074G3579G1759 19Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come looking for you.G1161G4074G1760G4012G3705G4151G2036G846G2400G5140G435G2212G4571 20Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don't worry, for I have sent them."G450G235G2597G2532G4198G4862G846G1252G3367G1360G1473G649G846 21So Peter went down and said, "I'm the man you are looking for. Why have you come?"G1161G4074G2597G4314G435G3588G649G4314G846G575G2883G2036G2400G1473G1510G3739G2212G5101G156G1223G3739G3918 22They said, "We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message."G1161G2036G2883G1543G1342G435G2532G5399G2316G5037G3140G5259G3650G1484G2453G5537G5259G40G32G3343G4571G1519G846G3624G2532G191G4487G3844G4675 23So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.G3767G1528G846G1528G3579G1161G1887G4074G1831G4862G846G2532G5100G80G575G2445G4905G846 24They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.G2532G1887G1525G1519G2542G1161G2883G4328G846G2258G4779G846G4773G2532G316G5384 25As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him.G1161G5613G4074G1096G1525G2883G4876G846G4098G1909G4228G4352 26But Peter pulled him up and said, "Stand up! I'm a human being just like you!"G1161G4074G1453G846G1453G3004G450G2504G846G2504G1510G444 27So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled.G2532G4926G846G1525G2532G2147G4183G4905 28Peter told them, "You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.G5037G5346G4314G846G5210G1987G5613G2076G111G435G2453G2853G2228G4334G246G2532G2316G1166G1698G3367G3004G3367G444G2839G2228G169 29So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me."G1352G2532G2064G369G3343G4441G3767G5101G3056G3343G3165 30Cornelius replied, "Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me.G2532G2883G5346G5067G2250G575G2252G3522G3360G5026G5610G2532G1766G5610G4336G1722G3450G3624G2532G2400G435G2476G1799G3450G1722G2986G2066 31He told me, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God!G2532G5346G2883G4675G4335G1522G2532G4675G1654G3415G1799G2316 32Now send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.'G3992G3767G1519G2445G2532G3333G4613G3739G1941G4074G3778G3579G1722G3614G4613G1038G3844G2281G3739G3854G2980G4671 33So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you."G1824G3767G3992G4314G4571G5037G4771G2573G4160G3854G3568G3767G3918G2249G3956G3918G1799G2316G191G3956G4367G4671G5259G2316 34Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.G1161G4074G455G4750G2036G1909G225G2638G3754G2316G2076G3756G4381 35In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.G235G1722G3956G1484G5399G846G2532G2038G1343G2076G1184G846 36This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.G3056G3739G649G5207G2474G2097G1515G1223G2424G5547G3778G2076G2962G3956 37You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism.G4487G5210G1492G1096G2596G3650G2449G756G575G1056G3326G908G3739G2491G2784 38And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.G5613G2316G5548G2424G575G3478G40G4151G2532G1411G846G3739G1330G2109G2532G2390G3956G2616G5259G1228G3754G2316G2258G3326G846 39"And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross,G2532G2249G2070G3144G3956G3739G4160G5037G1722G5561G2453G2532G1722G2419G3739G337G2910G1909G3586 40but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear,G5126G2316G1453G5154G2250G2532G1096G846G1717G1325 41not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.G3756G3956G2992G235G3144G4401G5259G2316G2254G3748G4906G2532G4844G846G3326G846G450G1537G3498 42And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead.G2532G3853G2254G2784G2992G2532G1263G3754G2076G846G3588G3724G5259G2316G2923G2198G2532G3498 43He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name."G5129G3140G3956G4396G3140G1223G846G3686G3956G4100G1519G846G2983G859G266 44Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.G4074G2089G2980G5023G4487G40G4151G1968G1909G3956G191G3056 45The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.G2532G1537G4061G4103G1839G3745G4905G4074G3754G1909G1484G2532G1632G1431G40G4151 46For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked,G1063G191G846G2980G1100G2532G3170G2316G5119G611G4074 47"Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"G3385G1410G5100G2967G5204G5128G907G3361G907G3748G2983G40G4151G2532G2531G2249 48So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.G5037G4367G846G907G1722G3686G2962G5119G2065G846G1961G5100G2250
123[A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.] I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.H7892H4609H5375H5869H3427H8064 2We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.H5869H5650H3027H113H5869H8198H3027H1404H5869H3068H430H2603 3Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt.H2603H3068H2603H7227H7646H937 4We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud and the contempt of the arrogant.H5315H7227H7646H3933H7600H937H3238H1343H1349
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. So he went to the high priest.G1161
