ACTS 16:1 He also came to Derbe and to Lystra. At Lystra he found a disciple, Timothy by name--the son of a Christian Jewess, though he had a Greek father.
ACTS 16:2 Timothy was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium,
ACTS 16:3 and Paul desiring that he should accompany him on his journey, took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
ACTS 16:4 As they journeyed on from town to town, they handed to the brethren for their observance the decisions which had been arrived at by the Apostles and Elders in Jerusalem.
ACTS 16:5 So the Churches went on gaining a stronger faith and growing in numbers from day to day.
ACTS 16:6 Then Paul and his companions passed through Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Message in the province of Asia.
ACTS 16:7 When they reached the frontier of Mysia, they were about to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit this.
ACTS 16:8 So, passing along Mysia, they came to Troas.
ACTS 16:9 Here, one night, Paul saw a vision. There was a Macedonian who was standing, entreating him and saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us."
ACTS 16:10 So when he had seen the vision, we immediately looked out for an opportunity of passing on into Macedonia, confidently inferring that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to the people there.
ACTS 16:11 Accordingly we put out to sea from Troas, and ran a straight course to Samothrace. The next day we came to Neapolis,
ACTS 16:12 and thence to Philippi, which is a city in Macedonia, the first in its district, a Roman colony. And there we stayed some little time.
ACTS 16:13 On the Sabbath we went beyond the city gate to the riverside, where we had reason to believe that there was a place for prayer; and sitting down we talked with the women who had come together.
ACTS 16:14 Among our hearers was one named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods. She belonged to the city of Thyateira, and was a worshipper of the true God. The Lord opened her heart, so that she gave attention to what Paul was saying.
ACTS 16:15 When she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If in your judgement I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she made us go there.
ACTS 16:16 One day, as we were on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who claimed to be inspired and was accustomed to bring her owners large profits by telling fortunes.
ACTS 16:17 She kept following close behind Paul and the rest of us, crying aloud, "These men are the bondservants of the Most High God, and are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."
ACTS 16:18 This she persisted in for a considerable time, until Paul, wearied out, turned round and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out immediately.
ACTS 16:19 But when her owners saw that their hopes of gain were gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them off to the magistrates in the public square.
ACTS 16:20 Then they brought them before the praetors. "These men," they said, "are creating a great disturbance in our city.
ACTS 16:21 They are Jews, and are teaching customs which we, as Romans, are not permitted to adopt or practise."
ACTS 16:22 The crowd, too, joined in the outcry against them, till at length the praetors ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods;
ACTS 16:23 and, after severely flogging them, they threw them into jail and bade the jailer keep them safely.
ACTS 16:24 He, having received an order like that, lodged them in the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.
ACTS 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
ACTS 16:26 when suddenly there was such a violent shock of earthquake that the prison shook to its foundations. Instantly the doors all flew open, and the chains fell off from every prisoner.
ACTS 16:27 Starting up from sleep and seeing the doors of the jail wide open, the jailer drew his sword and was on the point of killing himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
ACTS 16:28 But Paul shouted loudly to him, saying, "Do yourself no injury: we are all here.
ACTS 16:29 Then, calling for lights, he sprang in and fell trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas;
ACTS 16:30 and, bringing them out of the prison, he exclaimed, "O sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
ACTS 16:31 "Believe on the Lord Jesus," they replied, "and both you and your household will be saved."
ACTS 16:32 And they told the Lord's Message to him as well as to all who were in his house.
ACTS 16:33 Then he took them, even at that time of night, washed their wounds, and he and all his household were immediately baptized;
ACTS 16:34 and bringing the Apostles up into his house, he spread a meal for them, and was filled with gladness, with his whole household, his faith resting on God.
ACTS 16:35 In the morning the praetors sent their lictors with the order, "Release those men."
ACTS 16:36 So the jailer brought Paul word, saying, "The praetors have sent orders for you to be released. Now therefore you can go, and proceed on your way in peace."
ACTS 16:37 But Paul said to them, "After cruelly beating us in public, without trial, Roman citizens though we are, they have thrown us into prison, and are they now going to send us away privately? No, indeed! Let them come in person and fetch us out."
ACTS 16:38 This answer the lictors took back to the praetors, who were alarmed when they were told that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
ACTS 16:39 Accordingly they came and apologized to them; and, bringing them out, asked them to leave the city.
ACTS 16:40 Then Paul and Silas, having come out of the prison, went to Lydia's house; and, after seeing the brethren and encouraging them, they left Philippi.
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