Acts 16:7-40

7and after they came to 1Mysia, they were trying to go into 2Bithynia, and the 3Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8and passing by 4Mysia, they came down to 5Troas. 96A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of 7Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10When he had seen 8the vision, immediately 9we sought to 10go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to 11preach the gospel to them.

11So putting out to sea from 12Troas, we ran 13a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12and from there to 14Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of 15Macedonia, 16a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13And on 17the 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 18Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, 19a worshiper of God, was listening; 20and the Lord 21opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15And when she and 22her 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 23the place of prayer, a slave-girl having 24a 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 25the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you 26the 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 27in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very 28moment.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of 29profit was 30gone, they seized 31Paul and Silas and 32dragged 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 33are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being 34Romans.” 22The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their 35robes off them and proceeded to order 36them to be 37beaten with rods. 23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding 38the jailer to guard them securely; 2439and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in 40the 41stocks.

25But about midnight 42Paul and Silas were praying and 43singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26and suddenly 44there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately 45all the doors were opened and everyone’s 46chains were unfastened. 27When 47the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about 48to 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 49Paul and Silas, 30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, 50what must I do to be saved?” 31They said, “51Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and 52your household.” 32And they spoke the word of 53the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them 54that 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 55food before them, and rejoiced 56greatly, having believed in God with 57his whole household.

35Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” 36And 58the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go 59in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, 60men 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. 61They 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 62to leave the city. 40They went out of the prison and entered the house of 63Lydia, and when they saw 64the brethren, they 65encouraged them and departed.