Chapter 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 worshipped 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 baptised, 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 baptised, 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 .