Acts 16

The Macedonian Vision

1Now Paul also came to 1Derbe and to 2Lystra. And a disciple was there, named 3Timothy, the son of a 4Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2and he was well spoken of by 5the brothers and sisters who were in 6Lystra and 7Iconium. 3Paul wanted this man to leave with him; and he 8took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering 9the ordinances for them to follow which had been determined by 10the apostles and 11elders in Jerusalem. 5So 12the churches were being strengthened 13in the faith, and were 14increasing in number daily.

6They passed through the 1516Phrygian and 17Galatian region, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in 1819Asia; 7and after they came to 20Mysia, they were trying to go into 21Bithynia, and the 22Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8and passing by 23Mysia, they went down to 24Troas. 925And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of 26Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10When he had seen 27the vision, 28we immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to 29preach the gospel to them.

11So after setting sail from 30Troas, we ran 31a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis; 12and from there to 32Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of 33Macedonia, 34a Roman colony; and we were spending some days in this city. 13And on 35the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were thinking that there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

First Convert in Europe

14A woman named Lydia was listening; she was a seller of purple fabrics from the city of 36Thyatira, and 37a worshiper of God. 38The Lord 39opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15Now when she and 40her 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 41the place of prayer, a slave woman who had 42a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing great profit to her masters by fortune-telling. 17She followed Paul and us and cried out repeatedly, saying, “These men are bond-servants of 43the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation.” 18Now she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and he turned and said to the spirit, “I command you 44in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very 45moment.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of 46profit was suddenly gone, they seized 47Paul and Silas and 48dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities, 20and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men, Jews as they are, are causing our city trouble, 21and they 49are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to practice, since we are 50Romans.”

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

22The crowd joined in an attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their 51robes off them and proceeded to order 52them to be 53beaten with rods. 23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding 54the jailer to guard them securely; 2455and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in 56the 57stocks.

25Now about midnight 58Paul and Silas were praying and 59singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26and suddenly 60there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately 61all the doors were opened, and everyone’s 62chains were unfastened. 27When 63the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about 64to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29And the jailer asked for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before 65Paul and Silas; 30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, 66what must I do to be saved?”

The Jailer Converted

31They said, “67Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and 68your household.” 32And they spoke the word of God to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them 69that 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 70food before them, and was 71overjoyed, since he had become a believer in God together with 72his whole household.

35Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, “Release those men.” 36And 73the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent word that you be released. So come out now and go 74in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “After beating us in public without due process--75men who are Romans--they threw us into prison; and now they are releasing us secretly? No indeed! On the contrary, let them come 76in person and lead us out.” 38The officers reported these words to the chief magistrates. 77And they became fearful when they heard that they were Romans, 39and they came and pleaded with them, and when they had led them out, they repeatedly asked them 78to leave the city. 40They left the prison and entered the house of 79Lydia, and when they saw 80the brothers and sisters, they 81encouraged them and departed.