Acts 16
1 THEN he came to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold! a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman, who believed; but his father was a Greek:
Paul [and Silas] to Derbe [city and visited the believers there]. Next [they went to] Lystra [city]. A believer whose name was Timothy lived there. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek.
2 who was highly spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium.
The believers in Lystra and Iconium said good things about Timothy,
3 Him Paul resolved to take out with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places: for they all knew his father, that he was a Greek.
and Paul wanted to take Timothy with him [when he went] to other places, so he circumcised Timothy. [He did that so that] the Jews who lived in those places [would accept Timothy], because they knew that his non-Jewish father [had not allowed him to be circumcised] {[anyone to circumcise his son]}.
4 So as they passed through the cities, they delivered to them for their observance the ordinances decreed by the apostles and presbyters that were at Jerusalem.
[So Timothy went with Paul and Silas] and they traveled to many other towns. [In each town] they told [the] believers the rules that had been decided by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem {that the apostles and elders in Jerusalem had decided} that [non-Jewish] believers should obey.
5 Then were the churches established truly in the faith, and increased in number daily.
[God was helping] the believers in those towns to trust more strongly [in the Lord Jesus], and every day more people became believers.
6 So passing through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, being forbidden by the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia,
Paul and his companions wanted/planned to enter Asia [province] preach the message [about Jesus] there, but they were prevented by the Holy Spirit {the Holy Spirit prevented them} [from going there. So] they traveled through Phrygia and Galatia [provinces].
7 coming as far as Mysia, they made an effort to go unto Bythinia: but the Spirit permitted them not.
They arrived at the border of Mysia [province] and they wanted to go [north] Bithynia [province]. But [again] the Spirit of Jesus showed them that they should not [go there].
8 Whereupon passing by Mysia they went down to Troas.
So they went through Mysia [province] and arrived at Troas, a [port city. I, Luke, joined them there].
9 And a vision by night appeared to Paul; a certain man, a Macedonian, stood by him, entreating him, and saying, Pass over into Macedonia, and help us.
That night [God gave] Paul a vision in which he saw a man [who was a native] of Macedonia [province]. He was standing [some distance away], and he was earnestly calling to Paul, “[Please] come over [here] to Macedonia and help us!”
10 But when he saw the vision, immediately we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
[The next morning] we [(exc)] immediately got ready to go to Macedonia, because we believed that God had called us to [go and] preach the good message to the people there.
11 Therefore sailing from Troas, we came in a direct course to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis;
So we [(exc)] got on a ship in Troas and sailed across [the sea] Samothrace [Island. We spent the night there], and the next day [we sailed again across the sea and arrived] at Neapolis [port/town].
12 and from thence to Philippi, which is the first city in that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we abode in that city some days.
Then we [left Neapolis and] went [by land] to Philippi. It was a very important city in Macedonia [province, where many] Roman citizens lived. We stayed in Philippi several days.
13 And on the sabbath-day we went forth out of the city to the river side, where an oratory was by custom established; and sitting down, we spoke to the women who there assembled.
On the first (Sabbath/Jewish day of rest) [after we(exc) arrived], we went outside the city gate [down] to the river. We had heard [someone say] that [Jewish] people gathered to pray there. [When we arrived there, we saw] some women who had gathered [to pray]. So we sat down and began to tell them [the message about Jesus].
14 And a certain woman, Lydia by name, a seller of purple, from the city of Thyatira, a worshipper of God, hearkened: whose heart the Lord thoroughly opened, to attend to the words spoken by Paul.
A woman whose name was Lydia was one of those who were listening [to Paul. She was a non-Jewish woman], from Thyatira [city, who bought and] sold [expensive] purple cloth. She had accepted what the Jews believe about God. The Lord [God] caused her to pay attention to the message that Paul preached, and she believed it. [The members of her household also heard the good message and believed in Jesus] [MTY].
15 So when she was baptised, and her house, she entreated, saying, Since ye have judged that I am faithful to the Lord, come and abide at my house. And she constrained us.
After [Paul and Silas] baptized Lydia and the others who lived in her house [MTY] {After Lydia and the others who lived in her house were baptized}, she invited us to [go and stay in] her home. She said, “You [(pl)] know that I [now] believe in the Lord [Jesus], so [please] come and stay in my house.” She persuaded us [to do that, so we(exc) stayed there].
16 Now it happened as we were going to the oratory, a certain damsel having a pythonic spirit met us, who produced for her masters much gain as a fortuneteller:
Another day, while we [(exc)] were going to the place where people regularly gathered to pray, we met a young woman who was a slave. An evil spirit was enabling her to be a ventriloquist and to tell people what would happen [to them]. People paid a lot of money to [the men who were] her owners, in return for her telling them things that [she said] would happen [to them].
17 she following Paul and us, cried out, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who preach to you the way of salvation.
This young woman followed Paul and the rest of us. She continually shouted, “These men serve the God who is the greatest [of all gods]! They are telling you how ([God] can save you [so that he will not punish you/to be] saved)”
18 And this she did for several days. Then Paul was wearied out, and turning, said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out that very hour.
She continued to do that for many days. Finally Paul became irritated. So he turned [toward the young woman] and rebuked the evil spirit [that was in her. He said], “By the authority [MTY] of Jesus Christ, I command you [(sg)] to come out of this young woman!” Right away the evil spirit left her.
19 But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the forum before the chief rulers,
And then her owners realized that she could no longer earn money for them [because she could no longer predict what would happen to people, so they were angry]. They grabbed Paul and Silas and forcefully took them to the public square, to [the place where] the government authorities and [a lot of other people were gathered].
20 and presenting them to the magistrates, they said, These are the men that exceedingly disturb the peace of our city, being Jews,
The owners [of the young woman] brought Paul and Silas to the city officials and told them, “These men are Jews, and they are greatly troubling [the people in] [MTY] our city.
21 and enjoin customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to practise, being Romans.
They are teaching that we [(inc)] should follow customs that our laws do not allow us Romans to consider [to be correct] or to obey!”
22 And the populace stood up together against them: and the magistrates, after having had their garments torn from their backs, commanded them to be beaten with rods.
Many of the crowd joined [those who were accusing] Paul and Silas, and started beating them. Then the [Roman] authorities commanded [soldiers] to tear the shirts off Paul and Silas and to beat them [with rods/sticks].
23 And laying on them many stripes, cast them into prison, commanding the jailor to keep them in safe custody:
[So the soldiers] beat Paul and Silas vigorously [with rods]. After that, they [took them and] shoved them into the prison. They told the jailer that he should lock them up securely.
24 who, receiving such an injunction, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
[Because the officials] had [commanded] him [to do that], the jailer shoved Paul and Silas into the cell that was farthest inside. [There, he made them sit down on the floor/ground and stretch out their legs]. Then he fastened their ankles in [grooves] between two large wooden beams, [so that Paul and Silas could not move their legs].
25 But about midnight Paul and Silas, after joining in prayer, sang hymns to God: and the prisoners heard them.
About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying [aloud] and praising God by singing hymns. The [other] prisoners were listening attentively to them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken: and instantly all the doors flew open, and every man’s chains were loosed.
Suddenly there was a very strong earthquake. It shook the entire jail [SYN] and its foundation [SYN]. [The earthquake caused] all the doors [of the jail] to open suddenly, and [caused] all the chains that fastened the prisoners to fall off.
27 Then the jailor being roused from sleep, and seeing the doors of the prison open, drew his sword, going to destroy himself, supposing the prisoners had escaped.
The jailer woke up and saw that the doors of the jail were open. He thought that the prisoners had escaped. So he pulled out his sword in order to kill himself, [because he knew that the officials would kill him if the prisoners escaped].
28 But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no injury: for we are all here.
Paul [saw the jailer and] shouted to him, “Do not harm yourself! We [(exc) prisoners] are all here!”
29 Thereupon calling for a light, he rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas;
The jailer shouted [to someone] to bring torches/lanterns, [and after they brought them], he rushed into the jail and knelt down in front of Paul and Silas. [He was very afraid, so] much so that he was trembling/shaking.
30 and having first brought them out, said, Sirs! what must I do to be saved?
Then he brought Paul and Silas out [of the jail] and asked: “Sirs, what do I need to do to be saved [from being punished for my sins]?”
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou, and thy house.
[They answered], “Trust in [what] the Lord Jesus [has done for you], and you will be saved {[God] will save you}, and the others who live in [MTY] your house will [also] be saved [if they believe in Jesus].”
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all who were in his house.
Then the jailer took Paul and Silas into his house, washed their wounds, and gave them a meal. [He woke up all the people in his house, and] Paul and Silas told all of them the message about the Lord [Jesus. They all believed in him]. Immediately [after that, the jailer and all his family were baptized] {[Paul and Silas] baptized the jailer and all his family}. They were very happy, because now they all believed in God.
33 And taking them that same hour of the night, he washed their stripes; and was baptised, himself and all who belonged to him immediately.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he spread the table, and greatly rejoiced with all his household, believing in God.
35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the lictors, saying, Set those men at large.
The next morning, the [Roman] officials commanded [some] police officers [to go to the jail to say to the jailer], “[Our bosses] say, ‘Let those [two] prisoners go [now]!’”
36 Then the jailor told these words to Paul, That the magistrates had sent to set them at liberty: now therefore, said he, get ye out, and pursue your journey in peace.
[After the officers went and told that to] the jailer, he [went and] told Paul, “The [Roman] authorities have sent a message [(sg)] saying that I should release you [(sg)] and Silas [from prison]. So you [two] can leave [the jail] now. Now you can go peacefully!”
37 But Paul said to them, They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Roman citizens, and have cast us into prison; and would they now clandestinely send us away? no, verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.
But Paul said to the police officers, “The authorities [commanded men to] beat us in front of a crowd before [those authorities] had learned if we [(exc)] had done anything wrong! Then they [ordered men to] shove us into jail! [But that was not legal, because] we [(exc)] are Roman citizens! And now they want [RHQ] to send us away secretly! We will not accept that! Those [Roman] officials must come themselves and [tell us that they are sorry], and take us out [of jail].”
38 Then the lictors reported all these words to the magistrates: and they were terrified, when they heard they were Roman citizens.
So the police officers [went and] told the city authorities [what Paul had said]. When those authorities heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid [that someone would report to more important officials what they had done, and as a result they would be punished] {[those officials would punish them]}.
39 So they came and spoke kindly to them, and fetching them out, besought them to depart from the city.
So the city authorities came to Paul and Silas and told them that they were sorry for what they had done to them. The authorities brought them out of the jail, and repeatedly asked them to leave the city [soon].
40 Then leaving the prison, they went unto Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and went their way.
After Paul and Silas left the jail, they went to Lydia’s house. There they met with her and the [other] believers. They encouraged the believers [to continue trusting in the Lord Jesus], and then the two apostles left [Philippi].
