Acts 16

1 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.

Then came he to Derbe and to Lystra: and beholde, a certaine disciple was there named Timotheus, a womans sonne, which was a Iewesse and beleeued, but his father was a Grecian,

2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.

Of whom the brethren which were at Lystra and Iconium, reported well.

3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

Therefore Paul would that he should go forth with him, and tooke and circumcised him, because of ye Iewes, which were in those quarters: for they knewe all, that his father was a Grecian.

4 As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.

And as they went through the cities, they deliuered them the decrees to keepe, ordeined of the Apostles and Elders, which were at Hierusalem.

5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

And so were the Churches stablished in the faith, and encreased in number daily.

6 After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.

Nowe when they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden of the holy Ghost to preache the worde in Asia.

7 And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

Then came they to Mysia, and sought to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

Therefore they passed through Mysia, and came downe to Troas,

9 During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

Where a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There stoode a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come into Macedonia, and helpe vs.

10 As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

And after he had seene the vision, immediatly we prepared to goe into Macedonia, being assured that the Lord had called vs to preache the Gospel vnto them.

11 We sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, and the following day on to Neapolis.

Then went we forth from Troas, and with a straight course came to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis,

12 From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

And from thence to Philippi, which is the chiefe citie in ye partes of Macedonia, and whose inhabitants came from Rome to dwell there, and we were in that citie abiding certaine dayes.

13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.

And on the Sabbath day, we went out of the citie, besides a Riuer, where they were wont to pray: and we sate downe, and spake vnto the women, which were come together.

14 Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

And a certaine woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the citie of the Thyatirians, which worshipped God, heard vs: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended vnto the things, which Paul spake.

15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

And when she was baptized, and her houshold, she besought vs, saying, If ye haue iudged me to be faithfull to ye Lord, come into mine house, and abide there: and she constrained vs.

16 One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling.

And it came to passe that as we went to prayer, a certaine maide hauing a spirit of diuination, mette vs, which gate her masters much vantage with diuining.

17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”

She followed Paul and vs, and cryed, saying, These men are the seruants of the most high God, which shewe vnto you the way of saluation.

18 She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.

And this did she many dayes: but Paul being grieued, turned about, and said to the spirit, I commaund thee in the Name of Iesus Christ, that thou come out of her. And he came out the same houre.

19 When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.

Nowe when her masters sawe that the hope of their gaine was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drewe them into the market place vnto the Magistrates,

20 They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil

And brought them to the gouernours, saying, These men which are Iewes, trouble our citie,

21 by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.”

And preache ordinances, which are not lawfull for vs to receiue, neither to obserue, seeing we are Romanes.

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.

The people also rose vp together against them, and the gouernours rent their clothes, and commanded them to be beaten with roddes.

23 And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.

And when they had beaten them sore, they cast them into prison, commaunding the Iayler to keepe them surely.

24 On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Who hauing receiued such commandement, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feete fast in the stockes.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

Nowe at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sung Psalmes vnto God: and the prisoners heard them.

26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison was shaken: and by and by all the doores opened, and euery mans bands were loosed.

27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.

Then the keeper of the prison waked out of his sleepe, and when he sawe the prison doores open, he drewe out his sword and would haue killed himselfe, supposing the prisoners had bin fled.

28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”

But Paul cryed with a loude voyce, saying, Doe thy selfe no harme: for we are all here.

29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.

Then he called for a light, and leaped in, and came trembling, and fell downe before Paul and Silas,

30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

And brought them out, and said, Syrs, what must I doe to be saued?

31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

And they saide, Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ, and thou shalt be saued, and thine houshold.

32 Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.

And they preached vnto him the worde of the Lord, and to all that were in the house.

33 At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized.

Afterwarde he tooke them the same houre of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized with all that belonged vnto him, straigthway.

34 Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meate before them, and reioyced that he with all his houshold beleeued in God.

35 When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: “Release those men.”

And when it was day, the gouernours sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men goe.

36 The jailer informed Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.”

Then the keeper of the prison tolde these woordes vnto Paul, saying, The gouerness haue sent to loose you: nowe therefore get you hence, and goe in peace.

37 But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!”

Then sayde Paul vnto them, After that they haue beaten vs openly vncodemned, which are Romanes, they haue cast vs into prison, and nowe would they put vs out priuily? nay verely: but let them come and bring vs out.

38 So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

And the sergeants tolde these woordes vnto the gouernours, who feared whe they heard that they were Romanes.

39 They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city.

Then came they and praied them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the citie.

40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.

And they went out of the prison, and entred into the house of Lydia: and when they had seene the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.