Acts 16

1 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.

1 He came to Derbe and Lystra; and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed, but his father was a Greek.

2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.

2 The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.

3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

3 Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4 As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.

4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.

5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

5 So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

6 After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.

6 When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

7 And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

7 When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn’t allow them.

8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

8 Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

9 During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him and saying, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.”

10 As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Good News to them.

11 We sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, and the following day on to Neapolis.

11 Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;

12 From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

12 and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.

13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.

13 On the Sabbath day we went outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

14 Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

14 A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us. The Lord opened her heart to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.

15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

15 When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.

16 One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling.

16 As we were going to prayer, a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling.

17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”

17 Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!”

18 She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.

18 She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” It came out that very hour.

19 When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.

19 But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

20 They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil

20 When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city

21 by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.”

21 and advocate customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.

22 The multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates tore their clothes from them, then commanded them to be beaten with rods.

23 And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.

23 When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.

24 On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

24 Having received such a command, he threw them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.

26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened.

27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.

27 The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Don’t harm yourself, for we are all here!”

29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.

29 He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,

30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

30 brought them out, and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

32 Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.

32 They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.

33 At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized.

33 He took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household.

34 Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.

34 He brought them up into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with all his household, having believed in God.

35 When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: “Release those men.”

35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, “Let those men go.”

36 The jailer informed Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.”

36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out and go in peace.”

37 But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!”

37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most certainly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!”

38 So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

38 The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

39 They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city.

39 and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.

40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.

40 They went out of the prison and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, then departed.