Acts 16:14-40

14A woman named Lydia, from the city of 1Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, 2a worshiper of God, was listening; 3and the Lord 4opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15And when she and 5her 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 6the place of prayer, a slave-girl having 7a 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 8the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you 9the 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 10in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very 11moment.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of 12profit was 13gone, they seized 14Paul and Silas and 15dragged 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 16are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being 17Romans.” 22The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their 18robes off them and proceeded to order 19them to be 20beaten with rods. 23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding 21the jailer to guard them securely; 2422and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in 23the 24stocks.

25But about midnight 25Paul and Silas were praying and 26singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26and suddenly 27there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately 28all the doors were opened and everyone’s 29chains were unfastened. 27When 30the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about 31to 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 32Paul and Silas, 30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, 33what must I do to be saved?” 31They said, “34Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and 35your household.” 32And they spoke the word of 36the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them 37that 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 38food before them, and rejoiced 39greatly, having believed in God with 40his whole household.

35Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” 36And 41the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go 42in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, 43men 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. 44They 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 45to leave the city. 40They went out of the prison and entered the house of 46Lydia, and when they saw 47the brethren, they 48encouraged them and departed.