Acts of Apostles
16 So he arrived at Derʹbe and also at Lysʹtra.+ And, look! a certain disciple was there by the name of Timothy,+ the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, 2 and he was well reported on by the brothers in Lysʹtra and I·coʹni·um. 3 Paul expressed the desire for this man to go out with him, and he took him and circumcised+ him because of the Jews that were in those places, for one and all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Now as they traveled on through the cities they would deliver to those there for observance the decrees that had been decided upon by the apostles and older men* who were in Jerusalem.+ 5 Therefore, indeed, the congregations continued to be made firm in the faith+ and to increase in number from day to day.
6 Moreover, they went through Phrygʹi·a and the country of Ga·laʹti·a,+ because* they were forbidden by the holy spirit to speak the word in the [district of] Asia. 7 Further, when getting down to Mysʹi·a they made efforts to go into Bi·thynʹi·a,+ but the spirit of Jesus did not permit them. 8 So they passed Mysʹi·a by and came down to Troʹas.+ 9 And during the night a vision+ appeared to Paul: a certain Mac·e·doʹni·an man was standing and entreating him and saying: “Step over into Mac·e·doʹni·a and help us.” 10 Now as soon as he had seen the vision, we sought to go forth into Mac·e·doʹni·a,+ drawing the conclusion that God had summoned us to declare the good news* to them.
11 Therefore we put out to sea from Troʹas and came with a straight run to Samʹo·thrace, but on the following day to Ne·apʹo·lis, 12 and from there to Phi·lipʹpi,+ a colony, which is the principal city of the district of Mac·e·doʹni·a.+ We continued in this city, spending some days. 13 And on the sabbath day we went forth outside the gate beside a river, where we were thinking there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women that had assembled. 14 And a certain woman named Lydʹi·a, a seller of purple, of the city of Thy·a·tiʹra+ and a worshiper of God, was listening, and Jehovah* opened her heart+ wide to pay attention to the things being spoken by Paul. 15 Now when she and her household got baptized,+ she said with entreaty: “If YOU men have judged me to be faithful to Jehovah,* enter into my house and stay.”+ And she just made us come.+
16 And it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain servant girl with a spirit,+ a demon of divination,*+ met us. She used to furnish her masters with much gain+ by practicing the art of prediction. 17 This [girl] kept following Paul and us and crying out+ with the words: “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are publishing to YOU the way of salvation.” 18 This she kept doing for many days. Finally Paul got tired of it+ and turned and said to the spirit: “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”+ And it came out that very hour.+
19 Well, when her masters saw that their hope of gain had left,+ they laid hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace* to the rulers,+ 20 and, leading them up to the civil magistrates, they said: “These men are disturbing+ our city very much, they being Jews, 21 and they are publishing customs+ that it is not lawful for us to take up or practice, seeing we are Romans.” 22 And the crowd rose up together against them; and the civil magistrates, after tearing the outer garments off them, gave the command to beat them with rods.+ 23 After they had inflicted many blows upon them,+ they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them securely.+ 24 Because he got such an order, he threw them into the inner prison+ and made their feet fast in the stocks.+
25 But about the middle of the night+ Paul and Silas were praying and praising God with song;+ yes, the prisoners were hearing them. 26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the jail were shaken. Moreover, all the doors were instantly opened, and the bonds of all were loosened.+ 27 The jailer, being awakened out of sleep and seeing the prison doors were open, drew his sword and was about to do away with himself,+ imagining that the prisoners had escaped.+ 28 But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying: “Do not hurt yourself,+ for we are all here!” 29 So he asked for lights and leaped in and, seized with trembling, he fell down+ before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them outside and said: “Sirs, what must I do+ to get saved?” 31 They said: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will get saved,+ you and your household.”+ 32 And they spoke the word of Jehovah* to him together with all those in his house.+ 33 And he took them along in that hour of the night and bathed their stripes; and, one and all, he and his were baptized+ without delay. 34 And he brought them into his house and set a table before them, and he rejoiced greatly with all his household now that he had believed God.
35 When it became day, the civil magistrates+ dispatched the constables to say: “Release those men.” 36 So the jailer reported their words to Paul: “The civil magistrates have dispatched men that YOU [two] might be released. Now, therefore, come out and go YOUR way in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them: “They flogged us publicly uncondemned, men who are Romans,+ and threw us into prison; and are they now throwing us out secretly? No, indeed! but let them come themselves and bring us out.” 38 So the constables reported these sayings to the civil magistrates. These grew fearful when they heard that the men were Romans.+ 39 Consequently they came and entreated them and, after bringing them out, they requested them to depart from the city. 40 But they came out of the prison and went to the home of Lydʹi·a, and when they saw the brothers they encouraged+ them and departed.