28. And so Saul stayed with the followers and went all around Jerusalem speaking boldly for the Lord.
29. He often had arguments with the Greek-speaking Jews, who began making plans to kill him.
30. When the believers learned about this, they took Saul to Caesarea, and from there they sent him to the city of Tarsus.
31. The church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, these groups of believers became stronger in faith and showed their respect for the Lord by the way they lived. So the church everywhere grew in numbers.
32. Peter was traveling through all the areas around Jerusalem, and he stopped to visit the believers 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 the past eight years.
34. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!” He stood up immediately.
35. All the people living in Lydda and on the plain of Sharon saw him, and they decided to follow the Lord.
36. In the city of Joppa there was a follower of Jesus named Tabitha. Her Greek name, Dorcas, means “a deer.” She was always doing good things for people and giving money to those in need.
37. While Peter was in Lydda, Tabitha became sick and died. They washed her body and put it in an upstairs room.
38. The followers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda, which was not far away. So they sent two men, who begged him, “Hurry, please come quickly!”
39. Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. All the widows stood around him. They were crying and showing him the coats and other clothes that Tabitha had made during her time with them.
40. Peter sent all the people out of the room. He knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to Tabitha’s body and said, “Tabitha, stand up!” She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up.
41. He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. Then he called the believers and the widows into the room. He showed them Tabitha; she was alive!
42. People everywhere in Joppa learned about this, and many believed in the Lord.
43. Peter stayed in Joppa for many days at the home of a man named Simon, who was a leatherworker.