Acts 16:23-36

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!’

29The guard said, ‘Bring me some lights.’ Then he ran to the prison room where Paul and Silas were. He was very frightened. He went down on his knees in front of them.

30Then he led Paul and Silas out of the prison. He said to them, ‘Masters, what must I do so that God will save me? Tell me!’

31Paul and Silas said to him, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and then God will save you. He will save you and the people who live in your house, if they believe too.’

32Then Paul and Silas went to the guard's house. They spoke God's message about the Lord Jesus to him and to all the people in his house.

33In the middle of the night, the man took care of them. He washed their bodies where the soldiers had hurt them. Immediately after this, Paul and Silas baptized the man and his whole family.

34The man gave them some food to eat in his house. The guard and all his family were very happy because now they believed in God.

35The next morning, the important officers sent their police to the prison with a message for the guard. They told him, ‘Let those men go free.’

36The guard went to Paul and he told him, ‘The city officers have sent a message to me. They said, “Let Paul and Silas go free.” So now you can leave the prison. Nobody will hurt you any more.’