Acts 16

1 And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess that believed; but his father was a Greek.2 The same was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those parts: for they all knew that his father was a Greek.4 And as they went on their way through the cities, they delivered them the decrees to keep which had been ordained of the apostles and elders that were at Jerusalem.5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden of the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;7 and when they were come over against Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia; and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not;8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.10 And when he had seen the vision, straightway we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.11 Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;12 and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Roman colony: and we were in this city tarrying certain days.13 And on the sabbath day we went forth without the gate by a river side, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down, and spake unto the women that were come together.14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul.15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.16 And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain maid having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.17 The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim unto you the way of salvation.18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, being sore troubled, turned and said to the spirit, I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out that very hour.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 marketplace before the rulers,20 and when they had brought them unto the magistrates, they said, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,21 and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans.22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent their garments off them, and commanded to beat them with rods.23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:24 who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them;26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.27 And the jailor, 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 cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.29 And he called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas,30 and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.32 And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house.33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately.34 And he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God.35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go.36 And the jailor reported the words to Paul, saying, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore come forth, and go in peace.37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and do they now cast us out privily? Nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out.38 And the sergeants reported these words unto the magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romans;39 and they came and besought them; and when they had brought them out, they asked them to go away from the city.40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

Acts 16

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

1 He also came to Derbess and to Lystra.ss A disciplet named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,t but whose father was a Greek.s2 The brothers in Lystras and Iconiums spoke wellt of him.t3 Paul wanted Timothyt to accompany him, and he tookt him and circumcisedt him because of the Jews who were in those places,t for they all knew that his father was Greek.ts4 As they went through the towns,t they passed ont the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalems for the Gentile believerst to obey.t

5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day.t

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian Man

6 They went through the region of Phrygias and Galatia,s having been preventedt by the Holy Spirit from speaking the messaget in the province of Asia.t7 When they came tot Mysia,s they attempted to go into Bithynia,s but the Spirit of Jesus did not allowt them to do this,t8 so they passed throught Mysias and went down to Troas.s9 At vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing theret urging him,t “Come overt to Macedonias and help us!”

10 After Pault saw the vision, we attemptedt immediately to go over to Macedonia,s concluding that God had calledt us to proclaim the good news to them.

Arrival at Philippi

11 We put out to seat from Troass and sailed a straight courset to Samothrace,s the next day to Neapolis,s12 and from there to Philippi,s which is a leading city of that districts of Macedonia,s a Roman colony.s We stayed in this city for some days.13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat downt and began to speakt to the womens who had assembled there.t14 At woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple clotht from the city of Thyatira,s a God-fearing woman, listened to us.t The Lord opened her heart to respondts to what Paul was saying.

15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us,t “Ift you consider me to be a believer in the Lord,t come and stay in my house.” And she persuadedt us.

Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison

16 Nowt as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means.t Shet brought her ownerst a great profit by fortune-telling.t17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out,t “These men are servantst of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the wayt of salvation.”s18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed,t and turnedt and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christt to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once.t19 But when her ownerst saw their hope of profitt was gone, they seizedt Paul and Silas and draggedt them into the marketplace before the authorities.20 Whent they had brought themt before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion.t They aret Jews

21 and are advocatingt customs that are not lawful for us to acceptt or practice,s since we aret Romans.”
22 The crowd joined the attackt against them, and the magistrates tore the clothest off Paul and Silast and ordered them to be beaten with rods.t23 After they had beaten them severely,t they threw them into prison and commandedt the jailer to guard them securely.

24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cellt and fastened their feet in the stocks.t
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were prayingt and singing hymns to God,s and the rest oft the prisoners were listening to them.26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bondst of all the prisoners came loose.27 When the jailer woke upt and saw the doors of the prison standing open,t he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,s because he assumedt the prisoners had escaped.28 But Paul called out loudly,t “Do not harm yourself,s for we are all here!”29 Calling for lights, the jailert rushed in and fell downts trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas.30 Then he brought them outsidet and asked, “Sirs, what mustt I do to be saved?”31 They replied,t “Believes in the Lord Jesuss and you will be saved, you and your household.”32 Thent they spoke the word of the Lords to him, along with all those who were in his house.33 Att that hour of the night he took themt and washed their wounds;t thent he and all his familys were baptized right away.t34 The jailert brought them into his house and set foodt before them, and he rejoiced greatlyt that he had come to believet in God, together with his entire household.t35 At daybreakt the magistratest sent their police officers,t saying, “Release those men.”36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying,t “The magistrates have sent orderst to release you. So come out now and go in peace.”t37 But Paul said to the police officers,t “They had us beaten in publict without a proper trialt – even though we are Roman citizenst – and they threw ust in prison. And now they want to send us awayt secretly? Absolutely not! Theyt themselves must come and escort us out!”s38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silast were Roman citizenss39 and camet and apologized to them. Aftert they brought them out, they asked them repeatedlyt to leave the city.

40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and thent departed.