Acts 16:19-28

19Her masters now knew that the girl could not get money for them any more. So they took hold of Paul and Silas and they pulled them to the market place of the city. They took them to stand in front of the leaders of the city.

20They asked the important officers to judge them. They said, ‘These men are Jews. They are causing much trouble in our city.

21They are teaching people to obey strange ideas. We are Roman people. We cannot agree with these laws. They are not right for us to do.’

22A lot of people quickly came together there. They started to attack Paul and Silas. So the important officers said to their soldiers, ‘Tear the clothes off Paul and Silas. Then hit them with sticks!’

23The soldiers hit Paul and Silas many times. Then they took hold of them and they pushed them into the prison. The officers said to the prison guard, ‘Lock the prison door carefully so that these men cannot get free.’

24The prison guard did what he had been told to do. He put Paul and Silas in a room in the middle of the prison. He put their feet between big heavy pieces of wood so that they could not move their legs.

25At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying. They were also singing songs to praise God. The other people in the prison were listening to them.

26The ground under the prison suddenly shook strongly. Immediately, all the prison doors opened. The chains that held the people in the prison all fell off.

27The prison guard woke up. He saw that the prison doors were open. He thought that all the people in the prison had become free. He decided that he should kill himself. So he pulled out his sword.

28Paul shouted very loudly to him, ‘Do not hurt yourself! We are all still in here!’