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 spending some days in this city. 13And on 4the 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. 14A woman named Lydia was listening; she was a seller of purple fabrics from the city of 5Thyatira, and 6a worshiper of God. 7The Lord 8opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15Now 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 woman who had 11a 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 12the 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 13in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very 14moment.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of 15profit was suddenly gone, they seized 16Paul and Silas and 17dragged 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 18are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to practice, since we are 19Romans.” 22The crowd joined in an attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their 20robes off them and proceeded to order 21them to be 22beaten with rods. 23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding 23the jailer to guard them securely; 2424and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in 25the 26stocks.

25Now about midnight 27Paul and Silas were praying and 28singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26and suddenly 29there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately 30all the doors were opened, and everyone’s 31chains were unfastened. 27When 32the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about 33to 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 34Paul and Silas; 30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, 35what must I do to be saved?” 31They said, “36Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and 37your household.” 32And they spoke the word of God to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them 38that 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 39food before them, and was 40overjoyed, since he had become a believer in God together with 41his whole household.

35Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, “Release those men.” 36And 42the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent word that you be released. So come out now and go 43in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “After beating us in public without due process--44men who are Romans--they threw us into prison; and now they are releasing us secretly? No indeed! On the contrary, let them come 45in person and lead us out.” 38The officers reported these words to the chief magistrates. 46And 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 47to leave the city. 40They left the prison and entered the house of 48Lydia, and when they saw 49the brothers and sisters, they 50encouraged them and departed.