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 he came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold there was a certain disciple there, named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewess, but of a Grecian father.

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

Who was well spoken of by the brethren 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.

wherefore Paul was desirous that he should go forth with him, and took and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those parts; for they all knew 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 passed through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees that had been made by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.

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

And so the churches were 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.

And when they had passed through Phrygia and Galatia, being forbidden by the holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia, they came to Mysia, and endeavoured to go to Bithynia:

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

but the Spirit suffered them not.

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

So they passed by Mysia, and 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 Paul saw a vision in the night, There stood a certain man of Macedonia, intreating him and 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 as soon as he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to depart into Macedonia, concluding that the Lord called us to preach the gospel to them.

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

Therefore we set sail from Troas, and came in a direct course to Samothracia, and the day following 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 Roman colony. And we staid some time in this city.

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 city to a river-side, where there used to be prayer: and we sat down and preached to the women that 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 purple-seller of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to the things that were spoken by 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 family, she requested us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and lodge 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.

Now as we were going to the place of prayer, there met us a young woman that had a spirit of divination, who 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!”

She following Paul and us, cried out, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who shew 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 she did for 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.

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 he came out that instant. And when her masters saw, that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the court to the magistrates.

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

And when they brought them to the governors, they said, These men cause great disturbance in our city, for they are Jews, and teach customs,

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

which it is not lawful for us to receive, nor practise, who are 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 populace rose up together against them: and the officers stripped off their clothes, and ordered them to be scourged.

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 given them many stripes, 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 fastened their feet in the stocks.

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

Now in the middle of the night Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to 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 on a sudden 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 bonds 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.

The jailor waking, and seeing the prison-doors open, drew his sword and was going to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners were 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 lights, and sprang in, and being in a tremor fell down before Paul and Silas:

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

and bringing them out, he 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 thine 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 in his family.

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 at that very time of the night, and bathed their stripes: and was baptized, he and all his immediately after.

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 he brought them into his house, and spread a table for them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his household.

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

And when it was the day the governors 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 jailor told these words to Paul, saying, the governors have sent orders, that you should be discharged; 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 publicly beaten us, uncondemned, and Romans, and cast us into prison, and do they now turn us out privately? No verily, 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 reported these words to the governors: and they were afraid 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 intreated them, and when they had brought them out, they desired them to leave 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 when they were come out of the prison, they went into the house of Lydia: and seeing the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.