Acts 16:9-40

91A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of 2Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10When he had seen 3the vision, immediately 4we sought to 5go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to 6preach the gospel to them.

11So putting out to sea from 7Troas, we ran 8a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12and from there to 9Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of 10Macedonia, 11a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13And on 12the 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 13Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, 14a worshiper of God, was listening; 15and the Lord 16opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15And when she and 17her 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 18the place of prayer, a slave-girl having 19a 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 20the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you 21the 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 22in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very 23moment.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of 24profit was 25gone, they seized 26Paul and Silas and 27dragged 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 28are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being 29Romans.” 22The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their 30robes off them and proceeded to order 31them to be 32beaten with rods. 23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding 33the jailer to guard them securely; 2434and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in 35the 36stocks.

25But about midnight 37Paul and Silas were praying and 38singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26and suddenly 39there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately 40all the doors were opened and everyone’s 41chains were unfastened. 27When 42the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about 43to 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 44Paul and Silas, 30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, 45what must I do to be saved?” 31They said, “46Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and 47your household.” 32And they spoke the word of 48the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them 49that 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 50food before them, and rejoiced 51greatly, having believed in God with 52his whole household.

35Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” 36And 53the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go 54in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, 55men 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. 56They 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 57to leave the city. 40They went out of the prison and entered the house of 58Lydia, and when they saw 59the brethren, they 60encouraged them and departed.