16
1 He
came to Derbe
and Lystra; and
behold, a certain
disciple was there,
named Timothy, the
son of a
Jewess who
believed, but his
father was a
Greek.
2 The brothers
who were at
Lystra and Iconium
gave a good
testimony about
him.
3 Paul
wanted to have
him go out
with him, and
he took and
circumcised him
because of the
Jews who were
in those parts,
for they all
knew that his
father was a
Greek.
4 As
they went on
their way through
the cities, they
delivered the
decrees to them
to keep which
had been ordained
by the apostles
and elders who
were at Jerusalem.
5 So
the assemblies
were strengthened
in the faith,
and increased
in number daily.
6 When
they had gone
through the region
of Phrygia and
Galatia, they were
forbidden by the
Holy Spirit to
speak the word
in Asia.
7 When
they had
come opposite Mysia,
they tried to
go into Bithynia,
but the
Spirit didn’t
allow them.
8 Passing
by Mysia, they
came down to
Troas.
9 A
vision appeared to
Paul in the
night. There was
a man of
Macedonia standing,
begging him and
saying, “Come over
into Macedonia
and help us.”
10 When
he had seen
the vision,
immediately we
sought to go
out to Macedonia,
concluding that
the Lord had
called us to
preach the Good
News to them.
11 Setting sail
therefore from
Troas, we made
a straight course
to Samothrace, and
the day following
to Neapolis;
12 and
from there to
Philippi, which is
a city of
Macedonia, the
foremost of the
district, a Roman
colony. We were
staying some days
in this city.
13 On
the Sabbath day
we went outside
of the city by
a riverside, where
we supposed there
was a place
of prayer, and
we sat down
and spoke to
the women who
had come together.
14 A
certain woman
named Lydia, a
seller of purple,
of the city
of Thyatira, one
who worshiped God, heard us.
The Lord opened
her heart to listen
to the things
which were spoken
by Paul.
15 When
she and her
household were baptized,
she begged us,
saying, “If you
have judged me
to be faithful
to the Lord,
come into my
house and stay.”
So she persuaded
us.
16 As
we were going
to prayer, a
certain girl having
a spirit of
divination met us,
who brought her
masters much gain
by fortune telling.
17 Following
Paul and us,
she cried out, “These
men are servants
of the Most
High God, who
proclaim to us
a way of
salvation!”
18 She
was doing this
for many days.
But Paul, becoming
greatly annoyed,
turned and said
to the spirit, “I
command you in
the name of
Jesus Christ to
come out of
her!” It came
out that very
hour.
19 But
when her masters
saw that the
hope of their
gain was gone,
they seized Paul
and Silas and
dragged them into
the marketplace before
the rulers.
20 When
they had brought
them to the
magistrates, they
said, “These men,
being Jews,
are agitating our
city
21 and advocate
customs which it
is not lawful
for us to
accept or to
observe, being
Romans.”
22 The
multitude rose up
together against
them and the
magistrates tore
their clothes from
them, then
commanded them to
be beaten with
rods.
23 When
they had laid
many stripes on
them, they threw
them into prison,
charging the
jailer to keep
them safely.
24 Having
received such a
command, he threw
them into the
inner prison
and secured their
feet in the
stocks.
25 But
about midnight
Paul and Silas
were praying and
singing hymns to
God, and the
prisoners were
listening to them.
26 Suddenly
there was a
great earthquake,
so that the
foundations of the
prison were shaken;
and immediately
all the doors
were opened, and
everyone’s bonds
were loosened.
27 The
jailer, being roused
out of sleep
and seeing the
prison doors open,
drew his sword
and was about
to kill himself,
supposing that the
prisoners had
escaped.
28 But
Paul cried with
a loud voice,
saying, “Don’t harm
yourself, for we
are all here!”
29 He
called for lights,
sprang in, fell
down trembling
before Paul and
Silas,
30 brought
them out, and
said, “Sirs, what
must I do
to be saved?”
31 They
said, “Believe in
the Lord Jesus
Christ, and you
will be saved,
you and your
household.”
32 They
spoke the word
of the Lord
to him, and
to all who
were in his
house.
33 He
took them the
same hour of
the night and
washed their
stripes, and was
immediately baptized, he
and all
his household.
34 He
brought them up
into his house
and set food
before them,
and rejoiced greatly
with all his
household, having
believed in God.
35 But
when it was
day, the
magistrates sent the sergeants,
saying, “Let those
men go.”
36 The
jailer reported these
words to Paul,
saying, “The
magistrates have sent
to let you
go; now therefore
come out and
go in peace.”
37 But
Paul said to
them, “They have
beaten us publicly
without a trial,
men who are
Romans, and have
cast us into
prison! Do they
now release us
secretly? No, most
certainly, but let
them come
themselves and
bring us out!”
38 The sergeants reported these
words to the
magistrates, and
they were afraid
when they heard
that they were
Romans,
39 and
they came and
begged them. When
they had brought
them out, they
asked them
to depart from the
city.
40 They
went out of
the prison and
entered into
Lydia’s house. When
they had seen
the brothers, they
encouraged them,
then departed.