Acts 16

¹And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess which believed; but his father was a Greek. ²The same was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. ³Him 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. ⁴And as they went on their way through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, which had been ordained of the apostles and elders that were at Jerusalem. ⁵So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily. ⁶And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden of the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia; ⁷and when they were come over against Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia; and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not; ⁸and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. ⁹And 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. ¹⁰And when he had seen the vision, straightway we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. ¹¹Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis; ¹²and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Romancolony: and we were in this city tarrying certain days. ¹³And 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 which were come together. ¹⁴And 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. ¹⁵And 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. ¹⁶And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain maid having a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. ¹⁷The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are servants of the Most High God, which proclaim unto you the way of salvation. ¹⁸And 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. ¹⁹But 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, ²⁰and when they had brought them unto the magistrates, they said, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, ²¹and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans. ²²And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent their garments off them, and commanded to beat them with rods. ²³And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: ²⁴who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. ²⁵But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them; ²⁶and 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. ²⁷And 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. ²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. ²⁹And he called for lights, and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas, ³⁰And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? ³¹And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. ³²And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house. ³³And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately. ³⁴And he brought them up into his house, and set meat before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God. ³⁵But when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. ³⁶And the jailor reported the words to Paul, saying, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore come forth, and go in peace. ³⁷But 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. ³⁸And the serjeants reported these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans; ³⁹and they came and besought them; and when they had brought them out, they asked them to go away from the city. ⁴⁰And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house ofLydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.