Acts 16Book 44 of 66 · 40 verses · MBT primary, NKJV fallback where MBT pending

  1. Then he came to Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but his father was Greek.
  2. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.
  3. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
  4. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.
  5. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
  6. Now 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. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
  8. So passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.
  9. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.'
  10. Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
  11. Therefore, sailing from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis.
  12. And from there to Philippi, a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. We stayed in that city for several days.
  13. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women gathered there.
  14. Now a certain woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God, was listening; the Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.
  15. And when she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us.
  16. Now it happened, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain slave girl met us, who had a spirit of divination and brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
  17. This girl followed Paul and us, crying out, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.'
  18. And this she kept doing for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.' And it came out that very hour.
  19. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.
  20. And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, 'These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.'
  21. And they advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.
  22. Then the crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.
  23. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.
  24. Having received such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.
  25. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
  26. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.
  27. And the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, and he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.
  28. But Paul called out in a loud voice, 'Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here.'
  29. Then he called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
  30. And he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'
  31. So they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.'
  32. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house.
  33. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized.
  34. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them, and he rejoiced because he had come to believe in God with his entire household.
  35. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, 'Let those men go.'
  36. So the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, 'The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.'
  37. But Paul said to them, 'They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now do they throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.'
  38. And the police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.
  39. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city.
  40. So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brothers and sisters, they encouraged them and departed.