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.
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 at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.
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 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 through the different towns they gave them the requirements the apostles and elders in Jerusalem had said should be observed.
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 The churches were strengthened in their trust in the Lord and every day their numbers increased.
So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
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.
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 arrived at the border of Mysia they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to enter.
When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn’t allow them.
8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
Passing by Mysia, they came 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!”
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 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.
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 We set sail from Troas and made straight for Samothrace. The next day we went on to Neapolis,
Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following 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.
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 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 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 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.
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 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!
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 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.
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 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!”
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 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 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 they had lost their means of making money, they grabbed hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.
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 They brought them in front of the magistrates, and accused them: “These Jewish men are causing a great disturbance in our town,” they said.
When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city
21 “They're advocating things that are illegal for us as Romans to accept or to practice.”
and advocate customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”
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 multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates tore their clothes from them, then commanded 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.
When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.
24 The jailer followed his orders. He threw Paul and Silas into the inner cell and shackled their feet in the stocks.
Having received such a command, he threw them into the inner prison and secured 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.
But 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; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened.
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.
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 shouted out, “Don't hurt yourself—we're all still here!”
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Don’t harm yourself, 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.
He called for lights, sprang in, 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?”
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 you will be saved, you and your household.”
32 Then they shared the word of the Lord with him and everyone who lived in his house.
They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.
33 Even though it was late at night he bathed their wounds, and he was baptized right away, along with all his family.
He took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptised, he and all his 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.
He brought them up into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with all his household, having believed in God.
35 Early the next day the magistrate sent officials to the jailer, telling him, “Release those men.”
But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, “Let those men go.”
36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have sent word to release you. So you can leave, and go in peace.”
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 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 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 officials went back and reported this to the magistrates. When they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens they were really worried,
The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,
39 and went to apologize to them. They escorted them out and begged them to leave town.
and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from 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.
They went out of the prison and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, then departed.
