Acts 16

1 He also came to Derbe and to Lystra. At Lystra he found a disciple, Timothy by name--the son of a Christian Jewess, though he had a Greek father.

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 Timothy was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium,

The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.

3 and Paul desiring that he should accompany him on his journey, took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a 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 journeyed on from town to town, they handed to the brethren for their observance the decisions which had been arrived at by the Apostles and Elders in Jerusalem.

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 So the Churches went on gaining a stronger faith and growing in numbers from day to day.

So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

6 Then Paul and his companions passed through Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Message in the province of Asia.

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 reached the frontier of Mysia, they were about to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit this.

When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not allow them.

8 So, passing along Mysia, they came to Troas.

Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

9 Here, one night, Paul saw a vision. There was a Macedonian who was standing, entreating him and saying, "Come over into 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 So when he had seen the vision, we immediately looked out for an opportunity of passing on into Macedonia, confidently inferring that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to the people there.

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 Accordingly we put out to sea from Troas, and ran a straight course to Samothrace. The next day we came to Neapolis,

Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;

12 and thence to Philippi, which is a city in Macedonia, the first in its district, a Roman colony. And there we stayed some little time.

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 we went beyond the city gate to the riverside, where we had reason to believe that there was a place for prayer; and sitting down we talked with the women who had come together.

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 Among our hearers was one named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods. She belonged to the city of Thyateira, and was a worshipper of the true God. The Lord opened her heart, so that she gave attention to what Paul was saying.

A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us. The Lord opened her heart to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.

15 When she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If in your judgement I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she made us go there.

When she and her household were baptized, 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, as we were on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who claimed to be inspired and was accustomed to bring her owners large profits by telling fortunes.

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 She kept following close behind Paul and the rest of us, crying aloud, "These men are the bondservants of the Most High God, and are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."

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 This she persisted in for a considerable time, until Paul, wearied out, turned round and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out immediately.

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 owners saw that their hopes of gain were gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them off to the magistrates in the public square.

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 Then they brought them before the praetors. "These men," they said, "are creating a great disturbance in our city.

When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city

21 They are Jews, and are teaching customs which we, as Romans, are not permitted to adopt or practise."

and advocate customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”

22 The crowd, too, joined in the outcry against them, till at length the praetors ordered them to be stripped and 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 and, after severely flogging them, they threw them into jail and bade the jailer keep them safely.

When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.

24 He, having received an order like that, lodged them in the inner prison, and secured 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 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the 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 when suddenly there was such a violent shock of earthquake that the prison shook to its foundations. Instantly the doors all flew open, and the chains fell off from every prisoner.

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 Starting up from sleep and seeing the doors of the jail wide open, the jailer drew his sword and was on the point of killing himself, supposing 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 loudly to him, saying, "Do yourself no injury: we are all here.

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”

29 Then, calling for lights, he sprang in and fell trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas;

He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,

30 and, bringing them out of the prison, he exclaimed, "O sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

brought them out, and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 "Believe on the Lord Jesus," they replied, "and both you and your household will be saved."

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

32 And they told the Lord's Message to him as well as to all who were in his house.

They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.

33 Then he took them, even at that time of night, washed their wounds, and he and all his household were immediately baptized;

He took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household.

34 and bringing the Apostles up into his house, he spread a meal for them, and was filled with gladness, with his whole household, his faith resting on 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 In the morning the praetors sent their lictors with the order, "Release those men."

But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, “Let those men go.”

36 So the jailer brought Paul word, saying, "The praetors have sent orders for you to be released. Now therefore you can go, and proceed on your way 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 said to them, "After cruelly beating us in public, without trial, Roman citizens though we are, they have thrown us into prison, and are they now going to send us away privately? No, indeed! Let them come in person and fetch us out."

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 This answer the lictors took back to the praetors, who were alarmed when they were told that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

39 Accordingly they came and apologized to them; and, bringing them out, asked them to leave the city.

and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.

40 Then Paul and Silas, having come out of the prison, went to Lydia's house; and, after seeing the brethren and encouraging them, they left Philippi.

They went out of the prison and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, then departed.