Acts 16:6-40

6They passed through the 12Phrygian and 3Galatian region, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in 45Asia; 7and after they came to 6Mysia, they were trying to go into 7Bithynia, and the 8Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8and passing by 9Mysia, they went down to 10Troas. 911And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of 12Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10When he had seen 13the vision, 14we immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to 15preach the gospel to them.

11So after setting sail from 16Troas, we ran 17a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis; 12and from there to 18Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of 19Macedonia, 20a Roman colony; and we were spending some days in this city. 13And on 21the 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 22Thyatira, and 23a worshiper of God. 24The Lord 25opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15Now when she and 26her 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 27the place of prayer, a slave woman who had 28a 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 29the 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 30in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very 31moment.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of 32profit was suddenly gone, they seized 33Paul and Silas and 34dragged 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 35are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to practice, since we are 36Romans.” 22The crowd joined in an attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their 37robes off them and proceeded to order 38them to be 39beaten with rods. 23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding 40the jailer to guard them securely; 2441and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in 42the 43stocks.

25Now about midnight 44Paul and Silas were praying and 45singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26and suddenly 46there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately 47all the doors were opened, and everyone’s 48chains were unfastened. 27When 49the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about 50to 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 51Paul and Silas; 30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, 52what must I do to be saved?” 31They said, “53Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and 54your household.” 32And they spoke the word of God to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them 55that 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 56food before them, and was 57overjoyed, since he had become a believer in God together with 58his whole household.

35Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, “Release those men.” 36And 59the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent word that you be released. So come out now and go 60in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “After beating us in public without due process--61men who are Romans--they threw us into prison; and now they are releasing us secretly? No indeed! On the contrary, let them come 62in person and lead us out.” 38The officers reported these words to the chief magistrates. 63And 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 64to leave the city. 40They left the prison and entered the house of 65Lydia, and when they saw 66the brothers and sisters, they 67encouraged them and departed.