Acts 16
1 Paul went first to Derbe, and then on to Lystra, where he met a believer by the name of Timothy. He was the son of a Jewish Christian mother, and his father was Greek.
Paul went on to Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a disciple named Timothy was there. He was the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.
2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
He was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.
3 Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him, so he circumcised him because the Jews in the area all knew that Timothy's father was Greek.
Paul wanted this man to go on with him, so he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
4 As they went through the different towns they gave them the requirements the apostles and elders in Jerusalem had said should be observed.
As they went through the cities, they delivered the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers to obey.
5 The churches were strengthened in their trust in the Lord and every day their numbers increased.
So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number every day.
6 They traveled through the districts of Phrygia and Galatia, since the Holy Spirit prevented them from going to the province of Asia to speak the word.
Then Paul and his companions went through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia.
7 When they arrived at the border of Mysia they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to enter.
When they reached Mysia, they tried to go on toward Bithynia, but the Spirit did not allow them.
8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
So passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.
9 There Paul saw in vision during the night a man from Macedonia standing up, pleading with him, “Please come over to Macedonia and help us!”
During the night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian man was standing there, urging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”
10 After Paul saw this vision, we immediately made arrangements to go to Macedonia, since we concluded that God had called us to share the good news with them.
After Paul saw the vision, we immediately endeavored to go on to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 We set sail from Troas and made straight for Samothrace. The next day we went on to Neapolis,
So we set sail from Troas and followed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the next day we went to Neapolis.
12 and from there to Philippi, the most important town in Macedonia, and also a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for several days.
From there we went on to Philippi, which is a Roman colony and a leading city of that district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for several days.
13 On the Sabbath day we went out of the town gates down to the riverside where we thought people would come to pray. We sat down and talked with the women that had gathered there.
On the Sabbath day we went outside the city to a riverside, where it was customary for there to be prayer. We sat down and began speaking to the women who had gathered together.
14 One of them was called Lydia, who sold purple cloth from the town of Thyatira. She worshiped God, and she listened to us. The Lord opened her mind to what Paul was saying, and she accepted what he told her.
One of those listening to us was a woman named Lydia. She was a worshiper of God from the city of Thyatira and a seller of purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.
15 After she and all her household were baptized, she pleaded with us, “If you really think that I'm truly committed to the Lord, then come and stay at my house.” She kept on insisting until we agreed!
After she was baptized, along with her household, she urged us, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come stay at my house.” And she persuaded us to do so.
16 One day when we were going down to the place of prayer we met a slave girl possessed by an evil spirit. She earned her masters a great deal of money by fortune-telling.
One day, as we were on our way to prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination. She had brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us around, shouting, “These men are the servants of Almighty God. They are telling you how to be saved!”
She followed along behind Paul and us and kept crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation.”
18 She went on doing this for several days. This bothered Paul so he turned around and told the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to leave her!” The spirit immediately left her.
She kept on doing this for many days, and Paul became so annoyed that he turned and said to the spirit, “I command yoʋ in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
19 But when her masters saw they had lost their means of making money, they grabbed hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.
When her masters saw that their hope for profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, dragged them to the marketplace, and set them before the authorities.
20 They brought them in front of the magistrates, and accused them: “These Jewish men are causing a great disturbance in our town,” they said.
After bringing them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews,
21 “They're advocating things that are illegal for us as Romans to accept or to practice.”
and they are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”
22 The crowd joined together in an attack on them. The magistrates tore off Paul and Silas' clothes, and ordered them beaten with rods.
The crowd rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their garments off them and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
23 After giving them a severe beating, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them locked up.
After inflicting many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them under close guard.
24 The jailer followed his orders. He threw Paul and Silas into the inner cell and shackled their feet in the stocks.
When he received this order, he put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 Suddenly a tremendous earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. Immediately all the doors flew open and everyone's chains fell off.
Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors opened, and all the chains came loose.
27 The jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison wide open. He drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
Then the jailer was awakened, and when he saw that the doors of the prison were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, assuming that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul shouted out, “Don't hurt yourself—we're all still here!”
But Paul cried out with a loud voice, “Do yoʋrself no harm, for we are all here.”
29 The jailer asked for lights to be brought and rushed in. Shaking with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.
Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 He escorted them out and asked them, “Sirs, what do I have to do so I can be saved?”
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 “Trust in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your whole household,” they replied.
They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and yoʋ will be saved, yoʋ and yoʋr household.”
32 Then they shared the word of the Lord with him and everyone who lived in his house.
Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his household.
33 Even though it was late at night he bathed their wounds, and he was baptized right away, along with all his family.
He then took them in that hour of the night and washed their wounds. Then he was baptized at once, along with his entire household.
34 He took them home and had a meal prepared for them. The jailer and his whole family were full of joy because they trusted in God.
After bringing Paul and Silas into his house, he set a meal before them. And he rejoiced, along with his entire household, because he had come to believe in God.
35 Early the next day the magistrate sent officials to the jailer, telling him, “Release those men.”
When daybreak came, the magistrates sent their officers, saying, “Release those men.”
36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have sent word to release you. So you can leave, and go in peace.”
So the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. Therefore come out now and go in peace.”
37 But Paul told them, “They publicly beat us without a trial—and yet we're Roman citizens! Then they threw us in prison. Now they want to quietly let us go? No, they should come themselves and release us!”
But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and they threw us into prison. And now they are sending us away secretly? Certainly not! Rather, let them come and escort us out themselves.”
38 The officials went back and reported this to the magistrates. When they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens they were really worried,
So the officers reported these words to the magistrates, and the magistrates were afraid when they heard that the men were Roman citizens.
39 and went to apologize to them. They escorted them out and begged them to leave town.
So they came and spoke to them in a conciliatory manner. As they escorted them out, they begged them to leave the city.
40 So Paul and Silas left the prison and went to Lydia's house. There they met with the believers, encouraged them, and then went on their way.
So Paul and Silas came out of the prison and went to Lydia's house. And after seeing the brothers and encouraging them, they departed.
