Acts 16

¹Then he arrived at Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a faithful Jewish woman, his father a Gentile.

²The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium rendered good testimony to him.

³Paul wanted this man to travel with him, and taking him, he circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in those places. For they all knew that his father was a Gentile.

⁴And as they were traveling through the cities, they delivered to them the dogmas to be kept, which were decreed by the Apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.

⁵And certainly, the Churches were being strengthened in faith and were increasing in number every day.

⁶Then, while crossing through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the Word in Asia.

⁷But when they had arrived in Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

⁸Then, when they had crossed through Mysia, they descended to Troas.

⁹And a vision in the night was revealed to Paul of a certain man of Macedonia, standing and pleading with him, and saying: “Cross into Macedonia and help us!”

¹⁰Then, after he saw the vision, immediately we sought to set out for Macedonia, having been assured that God had called us to evangelize to them.

¹¹And sailing from Troas, taking a direct path, we arrived at Samothrace, and on the following day, at Neapolis,

¹²and from there to Philippi, which is the preeminent city in the area of Macedonia, a colony. Now we were in this city some days, conferring together.

¹³Then, on the Sabbath day, we were walking outside the gate, beside a river, where there seemed to be a prayer gathering. And sitting down, we were speaking with the women who had assembled.

¹⁴And a certain woman, named Lydia, a seller of purple in the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened. And the Lord opened her heart to be receptive to what Paul was saying.

¹⁵And when she had been baptized, with her household, she pleaded with us, saying: “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, enter into my house and lodge there.” And she convinced us.

¹⁶Then it happened that, as we were going out to prayer, a certain girl, having a spirit of divination, met with us. She was a source of great profit to her masters, through her divining.

¹⁷This girl, following Paul and us, was crying out, saying: “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are announcing to you the way of salvation!”

¹⁸Now she behaved in this way for many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you, in the name of Jesus Christ, to go out from her.” And it went away in that same hour.

¹⁹But her masters, seeing that the hope of their profit went away, apprehended Paul and Silas, and they brought them to the rulers at the courthouse.

²⁰And presenting them to the magistrates, they said: “These men are disturbing our city, since they are Jews.

²¹And they are announcing a way which is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, since we are Romans.”

²²And the people rushed together against them. And the magistrates, tearing their tunics, ordered them to be beaten with staffs.

²³And when they had inflicted many scourges on them, they cast them into prison, instructing the guard to watch them diligently.

²⁴And since he had received this kind of order, he cast them into the interior prison cell, and he restricted their feet with stocks.

²⁵Then, in the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were praying and praising God. And those who were also in custody were listening to them.

²⁶Yet truly, there was a sudden earthquake, so great that the foundations of the prison were moved. And immediately all the doors were opened, and the bindings of everyone were released.

²⁷Then the prison guard, having been jarred awake, and seeing the doors of the prison open, drew his sword and intended to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled.

²⁸But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying: “Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!”

²⁹Then calling for a light, he entered. And trembling, he fell before the feet of Paul and Silas.

³⁰And bringing them outside, he said, “Sirs, what must I do, so that I may be saved?”

³¹So they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and then you will be saved, with your household.”

³²And they spoke the Word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house.

³³And he, taking them in the same hour of the night, washed their scourges. And he was baptized, and next his entire household.

³⁴And when he had brought them into his own house, he set a table for them. And he was joyous, with his entire household, believing in God.

³⁵And when daylight had arrived, the magistrates sent the attendants, saying, “Release those men.”

³⁶But the prison guard reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent to have you released. Now therefore, depart. Go in peace.”

³⁷But Paul said to them: “They have beaten us publicly, though we were not condemned. They have cast men who are Romans into prison. And now they would drive us away secretly? Not so. Instead, let them come forward,

³⁸and let us drive them away.” Then the attendants reported these words to the magistrates. And upon hearing that they were Romans, they were afraid.

³⁹And arriving, they pleaded with them, and leading them out, they begged them to depart from the city.

⁴⁰And they went away from the prison and entered into the house of Lydia. And having seen the brothers, they consoled them, and then they set out.

Acts 16

¹Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

²Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

³Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

⁴And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

⁵And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

⁶Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

⁷After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

⁸And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

¹⁰And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

¹¹Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

¹²And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.

¹³And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

¹⁴And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of 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 went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

¹⁷The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

¹⁸And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

¹⁹And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

²⁰And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

²¹And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

²²And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

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, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

²⁶And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

²⁷And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

²⁹Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and 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 Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

³²And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to 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, straightway.

³⁴And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

³⁵And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

³⁶And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.

³⁷But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

³⁸And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

³⁹And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.

⁴⁰And 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.