Acts 16:12-40

12and from there to 1Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of 2Macedonia, 3a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13And on 4the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. 14A woman named Lydia, from the city of 5Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, 6a worshiper of God, was listening; 7and the Lord 8opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15And when she and 9her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

16It happened that as we were going to 10the place of prayer, a slave-girl having 11a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of 12the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you 13the way of salvation.” 18She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you 14in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very 15moment.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of 16profit was 17gone, they seized 18Paul and Silas and 19dragged them into the market place before the authorities, 20and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21and 20are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being 21Romans.” 22The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their 22robes off them and proceeded to order 23them to be 24beaten with rods. 23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding 25the jailer to guard them securely; 2426and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in 27the 28stocks.

25But about midnight 29Paul and Silas were praying and 30singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26and suddenly 31there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately 32all the doors were opened and everyone’s 33chains were unfastened. 27When 34the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about 35to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before 36Paul and Silas, 30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, 37what must I do to be saved?” 31They said, “38Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and 39your household.” 32And they spoke the word of 40the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them 41that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34And he brought them into his house and set 42food before them, and rejoiced 43greatly, having believed in God with 44his whole household.

35Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” 36And 45the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go 46in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, 47men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.” 38The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. 48They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them 49to leave the city. 40They went out of the prison and entered the house of 50Lydia, and when they saw 51the brethren, they 52encouraged them and departed.