Acts 16:7-40

7and after they came to 1Mysia, they were trying to go into 2Bithynia, and the 3Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8and passing by 4Mysia, they went down to 5Troas. 96And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of 7Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10When he had seen 8the vision, 9we immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to 10preach the gospel to them.

11So after setting sail from 11Troas, we ran 12a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis; 12and from there to 13Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of 14Macedonia, 15a Roman colony; and we were spending some days in this city. 13And on 16the 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 17Thyatira, and 18a worshiper of God. 19The Lord 20opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15Now when she and 21her 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 22the place of prayer, a slave woman who had 23a 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 24the 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 25in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very 26moment.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of 27profit was suddenly gone, they seized 28Paul and Silas and 29dragged 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 30are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to practice, since we are 31Romans.” 22The crowd joined in an attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their 32robes off them and proceeded to order 33them to be 34beaten with rods. 23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding 35the jailer to guard them securely; 2436and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in 37the 38stocks.

25Now about midnight 39Paul and Silas were praying and 40singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26and suddenly 41there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately 42all the doors were opened, and everyone’s 43chains were unfastened. 27When 44the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about 45to 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 46Paul and Silas; 30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, 47what must I do to be saved?” 31They said, “48Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and 49your household.” 32And they spoke the word of God to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them 50that 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 51food before them, and was 52overjoyed, since he had become a believer in God together with 53his whole household.

35Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, “Release those men.” 36And 54the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent word that you be released. So come out now and go 55in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “After beating us in public without due process--56men who are Romans--they threw us into prison; and now they are releasing us secretly? No indeed! On the contrary, let them come 57in person and lead us out.” 38The officers reported these words to the chief magistrates. 58And 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 59to leave the city. 40They left the prison and entered the house of 60Lydia, and when they saw 61the brothers and sisters, they 62encouraged them and departed.