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 Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

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

Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

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.

Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

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 delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

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

And so were the Assemblies established in the faith, and increased 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.

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word 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.

After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

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

And they passing by Mysia came down 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.”

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

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 seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

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

Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course 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 chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.

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 we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

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 certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

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 household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

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 pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

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!”

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

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 days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

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.

And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

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 magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

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

And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

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

And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

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 laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

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

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

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

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto 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 foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s 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.

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

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

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: 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 sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down 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, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

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

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

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

And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his 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.

And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

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 meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

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

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

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

And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go 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!”

But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us 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 serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

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

And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.

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 entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.