Acts 16

The Macedonian Vision

1NowG1161 Paul alsoG2532 cameG2658 to 1DerbeG1191 and to 2LystraG3082. And a discipleG3101 was thereG1563, namedG3686 3TimothyG5095, the sonG5207 of a 4JewishG2453 womanG1135 who was a believerG4103, but his fatherG3962 was a GreekG1672, 2and he was wellG3140 spokenG3140 of by 5the brothersG80 and sisters who were in 6LystraG3082 and 7IconiumG2430. 3PaulG3972 wantedG2309 thisG3778 manG3778 to leaveG1831 with him; and he 8tookG2983 him and circumcisedG4059 him becauseG1223 of the JewsG2453 who were in thoseG1565 partsG5117, for they allG537 knewG3609 that his fatherG3962 was a GreekG1672. 4NowG1161 whileG5613 they were passingG1279 throughG1279 the citiesG4172, they were deliveringG3860 9the ordinancesG1378 for them to followG5442 which had been determinedG2919 by 10the apostlesG652 and 11eldersG4245 in JerusalemG2414. 5SoG3767 12the churchesG1577 were being strengthenedG4732 13in the faithG4102, and were 14increasingG4052 in numberG706 dailyG2596G2250.

6They passedG1330 throughG1330 the 1516PhrygianG5435 and 17GalatianG1054 regionG5561, after being forbiddenG2967 by the HolyG40 SpiritG4151 to speakG2980 the wordG3056 in 1819AsiaG773; 7and after they cameG2064 to 20MysiaG3465, they were tryingG3985 to goG4198 into 21BithyniaG978, and the 22SpiritG4151 of JesusG2424 did not allowG1439 them; 8and passingG3928 by 23MysiaG3465, they wentG2597 downG2597 to 24TroasG5174. 925And a visionG3705 appearedG3708 to PaulG3972 in the nightG3571: a manG435 of 26MacedoniaG3110 was standingG2476 and pleadingG3870 with him, and sayingG3004, “ComeG1224 overG1224 to MacedoniaG3109 and helpG997 us.” 10WhenG5613 he had seenG3708 27the visionG3705, 28we immediatelyG2112 soughtG2212 to leaveG1831 for MacedoniaG3109, concludingG4822 that GodG2316 had calledG4341 us to 29preachG2097 the gospelG2097 to them.

11SoG3767 after settingG321 sailG321 from 30TroasG5174, we ranG2113 31aG2113 straightG2113 courseG2113 to SamothraceG4543, and on the followingG1897 day to NeapolisG3496; 12and fromG2547 thereG2547 to 32PhilippiG5375, whichG3748 is a leadingG4413 cityG4172 of the districtG3310 of 33MacedoniaG3109, 34a Roman colonyG2862; and we were spendingG1304 someG5100 daysG2250 in thisG3778 cityG4172. 13And on 35the SabbathG4521 dayG2250 we wentG1831 outsideG1854 the gateG4439 to a riversideG3844G4215, whereG3757 we were thinkingG3543 that there was a placeG4335 ofG4335 prayerG4335; and we satG2523 downG2523 and began speakingG2980 to the womenG1135 who had assembledG4905.

First Convert in Europe

14A womanG1135 namedG3686 LydiaG3070 was listeningG191; she was a sellerG4211 ofG4211 purpleG4211 fabricsG4211 from the cityG4172 of 36ThyatiraG2363, and 37a worshiperG4576 of GodG2316. 38The LordG2962 39openedG1272 her heartG2588 to respondG4337 to the thingsG2980 spokenG2980 by PaulG3972. 15NowG1161 whenG5613 she and 40her householdG3624 had been baptizedG907, she urgedG3870 us, sayingG3004, “IfG1487 you have judgedG2919 me to be faithfulG4103 to the LordG2962, comeG1525 into my houseG3624 and stayG3306.” And she prevailedG3849 upon us.

16It happenedG1096 that as we were goingG4198 to 41the placeG4335 of prayerG4335, a slaveG3814 womanG3814 who hadG2192 42a spiritG4151 of divinationG4436 metG5221 us, whoG3748 was bringingG3930 greatG4183 profitG2039 to her mastersG2962 by fortune-tellingG3132. 17She followedG2628 PaulG3972 and us and criedG2896 outG2896 repeatedly, sayingG3004, “TheseG3778 menG444 are bond-servantsG1401 of 43the MostG5310 HighG5310 GodG2316, whoG3748 are proclaimingG2605 to you a wayG3598 of salvationG4991.” 18NowG1161 she continued doingG4160 thisG3778 for manyG4183 daysG2250. But PaulG3972 was greatlyG1278 annoyedG1278, and he turnedG1994 and saidG3004 to the spiritG4151, “I commandG3853 you 44in the nameG3686 of JesusG2424 ChristG5547 to comeG1831 outG1831 of her!” And it cameG1831 outG1831 at that veryG846 45momentG5610.

19But when her mastersG2962 sawG3708 that their hopeG1680 of 46profitG2039 was suddenly goneG1831, they seizedG1949 47PaulG3972 and SilasG4609 and 48draggedG1670 them into the marketplaceG58 beforeG1909 the authoritiesG758, 20and when they had broughtG4317 them to the chiefG4755 magistratesG4755, they saidG3004, “TheseG3778 menG444, JewsG2453 asG2453 theyG2453 areG2453, are causingG1613 our cityG4172 troubleG1613, 21and they 49are proclaimingG2605 customsG1485 that are not lawfulG1832 for us to acceptG3858 orG3761 to practiceG4160, since we are 50RomansG4514.”

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

22The crowdG3793 joinedG4911 inG4911 anG4911 attackG4911 againstG2596 them, and the chiefG4755 magistratesG4755 toreG4048 their 51robesG2440 offG4048 them and proceeded to orderG2753 52them to be 53beatenG4463 withG4463 rodsG4463. 23When they had struckG2007 them with manyG4183 blowsG4127, they threwG906 them into prisonG5438, commandingG3853 54the jailerG1200 to guardG5083 them securelyG806; 2455and he, having receivedG2983 suchG5108 a commandG3852, threwG906 them into the innerG2082 prisonG5438 and fastenedG805 their feetG4228 in 56the 57stocksG3586.

25NowG1161 aboutG2596 midnightG3317 58PaulG3972 and SilasG4609 were prayingG4336 and 59singingG5214 hymnsG5214 ofG5214 praiseG5214 to GodG2316, and the prisonersG1198 were listeningG1874 toG1874 them; 26and suddenlyG869 60there was a greatG3173 earthquakeG4578, soG5620 thatG5620 the foundationsG2310 of the prisonG1201 were shakenG4531; and immediatelyG3916 61allG3956 the doorsG2374 were openedG455, and everyone’sG3956 62chainsG1199 were unfastenedG447. 27When 63the jailerG1200 awokeG1853 and sawG3708 the prisonG5438 doorsG2374 openedG455, he drewG4685 his swordG3162 and wasG3195 aboutG3195 64toG3195 killG337 himselfG1438, thinkingG3543 that the prisonersG1198 had escapedG1628. 28But PaulG3972 calledG5455 outG5455 with a loudG3173 voiceG5456, sayingG3004, “DoG4238 not harmG2556 yourselfG4572, for we are allG537 hereG1759!” 29And the jailer askedG154 for lightsG5457 and rushedG1530 inG1530, and tremblingG1790 withG1790 fearG1790, he fellG4363 downG4363 beforeG4363 65PaulG3972 and SilasG4609; 30and after he broughtG4254 them out, he saidG5346, “SirsG2962, 66whatG5101 mustG1163 I doG4160 to be savedG4982?”

The Jailer Converted

31They saidG3004, “67BelieveG4100 in the LordG2962 JesusG2424, and you will be savedG4982, you and 68your householdG3624.” 32And they spokeG2980 the wordG3056 of GodG2962 to him togetherG4862 with allG3956 whoG3588 were in his houseG3614. 33And he tookG3880 them 69that very hourG5610 of the nightG3571 and washedG3068 their woundsG4127, and immediatelyG3916 he was baptizedG907, he and allG537 his household. 34And he broughtG321 them into his houseG3624 and setG3908 70foodG5132 beforeG3908 them, and was 71overjoyedG21, since he had becomeG4100 aG4100 believerG4100 in GodG2316 togetherG3832 withG3832 72his wholeG3832 householdG3832.

35NowG1161 when dayG2250 cameG1096, the chiefG4755 magistratesG4755 sentG649 their officersG4465, sayingG3004, “ReleaseG630 thoseG1565 menG444.” 36And 73the jailerG1200 reportedG518 theseG3778 wordsG3056 to PaulG3972, saying, “The chiefG4755 magistratesG4755 have sentG649 word that you be releasedG630. SoG3767 comeG1831 outG1831 nowG3568 and goG4198 74in peaceG1515.” 37But PaulG3972 saidG5346 to them, “After beatingG1194 us in publicG1219 withoutG178 dueG178 processG178--75menG444 who are RomansG4514--they threwG906 us into prisonG5438; and nowG3568 they are releasingG1544 us secretlyG2977? NoG3756 indeedG1063! On the contraryG1161, let them comeG2064 76in personG846 and leadG1806 us outG1806.” 38The officersG4465 reportedG518 theseG3778 wordsG4487 to the chiefG4755 magistratesG4755. 77And they becameG5399 fearfulG5399 when they heardG191 that they were RomansG4514, 39and they cameG2064 and pleadedG3870 with them, and when they had ledG1806 them outG1806, they repeatedly askedG2065 them 78to leaveG565 the cityG4172. 40They leftG1831 the prisonG5438 and enteredG1525 the house of 79LydiaG3070, and when they sawG3708 80the brothersG80 and sisters, they 81encouragedG3870 them and departedG1831.