Acts 16:14-40

14A woman named Lydia was listening; she was a seller of purple fabrics from the city of 1Thyatira, and 2a worshiper of God. 3The Lord 4opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15Now 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 woman who had 7a 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 8the 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 9in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very 10moment.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of 11profit was suddenly gone, they seized 12Paul and Silas and 13dragged 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 14are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to practice, since we are 15Romans.” 22The crowd joined in an attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their 16robes off them and proceeded to order 17them to be 18beaten with rods. 23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding 19the jailer to guard them securely; 2420and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in 21the 22stocks.

25Now about midnight 23Paul and Silas were praying and 24singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26and suddenly 25there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately 26all the doors were opened, and everyone’s 27chains were unfastened. 27When 28the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about 29to 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 30Paul and Silas; 30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, 31what must I do to be saved?” 31They said, “32Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and 33your household.” 32And they spoke the word of God to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them 34that 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 35food before them, and was 36overjoyed, since he had become a believer in God together with 37his whole household.

35Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, “Release those men.” 36And 38the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent word that you be released. So come out now and go 39in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “After beating us in public without due process--40men who are Romans--they threw us into prison; and now they are releasing us secretly? No indeed! On the contrary, let them come 41in person and lead us out.” 38The officers reported these words to the chief magistrates. 42And 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 43to leave the city. 40They left the prison and entered the house of 44Lydia, and when they saw 45the brothers and sisters, they 46encouraged them and departed.