Acts, 16

1. Paul traveled on to Derbe and then to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy lived there, whose mother was a believer of Jewish origin but whose father was a Greek.

2. As the believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him, Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him.

3. So he took him and, because of the Jews of that place who all knew that his father was a Greek, he circumcised him.

4. As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, for the people to obey.

5. Meanwhile, the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number every day.

6. They traveled through Phrygia and Galatia, because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia.

7. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to do this.

8. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

9. There one night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and begged him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"

10. When he awoke, he told us of this vision and we understood that the Lord was calling us to give the Good News to the Macedonian people.

11. So we put out to sea from Troas and sailed straight across to Samothrace Island, and the next day to Neapolis.

12. From there we went inland to Philippi, the leading city of the district of Macedonia, and a Roman colony. We spent some days in that city.

13. On the sabbath we went outside the city gate to the bank of the river where we thought the Jews would gather to pray. We sat down and began speaking to the women who were gathering there.

14. One of them was a God-fearing woman named Lydia from Thyatira City, a dealer in purple cloth. As she listened, the Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.

15. After she had been baptized together with her household, she invited us to her house, "If you think I am faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us to accept her invitation.

16. One day, as we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a divining spirit and gained much profit for her owners by her fortune-telling.

17. She followed Paul and the rest of us shouting, "These people are servants of the Most High God. They will make known to you a way of salvation."

18. The girl did this for several days until Paul was annoyed. Then he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you, come out of her!" The spirit went out of her that very moment.

19. When her owners realized that all the profits they expected had gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the local authorities.

20. And when they had turned them over to the officials, they said,

21. "These people are Jews and they are disturbing our city. They have come here to introduce customs which are not lawful for us Romans to adopt or practice."

22. So they set the crowd against them and the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be flogged.

23. And after inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to guard them safely.

24. Upon receiving these instructions, he threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet between heavy blocks of wood.

25. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

26. Suddenly a severe earthquake shook the place, rocking the prison to its foundations. Immediately all the doors flew open and the chains of all the prisoners fell off.

27. The jailer woke up to see the prison gates wide open. Thinking that the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself,

28. but Paul shouted to him, "Do not harm yourself! We are all still here."

29. The jailer asked for a light, then rushed in, and fell at the feet of Paul and Silas.

30. After he had secured the other prisoners, he led them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31. They answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your household will be saved."

32. Then they spoke the word of God to him and to all his household.

33. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer took care of them and washed their wounds; and he and his whole household were baptized at once.

34. He led them to his house, spread a meal before them and joyfully celebrated with his whole household his newfound faith in God.

35. The next morning the officials sent police officers with the order, "Let those men go."

36. So the jailer said to Paul and Silas, "The officials have sent an order for you and Silas to be released. You may leave and go in peace."

37. But Paul said to him, "They flogged us publicly, and jailed us without trial, men who are Roman citizens; and now they want to smuggle us out secretly? Oh no! Let them come themselves and lead us out."

38. The police officers reported this to the officials, who were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

39. So they went to the prison with many of their friends and invited them to leave, "We did not know that you were upright men." And when Paul and Silas were leaving, they added, "When you are out, please do not bring trouble on us for having spoken sharply to you."

40. Once outside the prison, Paul and Silas went to Lydia's house where they met and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and then departed.