16:1 He also came to Derbe¹ and to Lystra.² A disciple³ named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,⁴ but whose father was a Greek.⁵ 16:2 The brothers in Lystra⁶ and Iconium⁷ spoke well⁸ of him.⁹ 16:3 Paul wanted Timothy¹⁰ to accompany him, and he took¹¹ him and circumcised¹² him because of the Jews who were in those places,¹³ for they all knew that his father was Greek.¹⁴ 16:4 As they went through the towns,¹⁵ they passed on¹⁶ the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers¹⁷ to obey.¹⁸ 16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day.¹⁹

16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia²⁰ and Galatia,²¹ having been prevented²² by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message²³ in Asia.²⁴ 16:7 When they came to²⁵ Mysia,²⁶ they attempted to go into Bithynia,²⁷ but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow²⁸ them to, 16:8 so they passed through²⁹ Mysia³⁰ and went down to Troas.³¹ 16:9 A³² vision appeared to Paul during the night: a Macedonian man was standing there³³ urging him,³⁴ “Come over³⁵ to Macedonia³⁶ and help us!” 16:10 After Paul³⁷ saw the vision, we attempted³⁸ immediately to go over to Macedonia,³⁹ concluding that God had called⁴⁰ us to proclaim the good news to them.

16:11 We put out to sea⁴¹ from Troas⁴² and sailed a straight course⁴³ to Samothrace,⁴⁴ the next day to Neapolis,⁴⁵ 16:12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district⁴⁶ of Macedonia,⁴⁷ a Roman colony.⁴⁸ We stayed in this city for some days. 16:13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down⁴⁹ and began to speak⁵⁰ to the women⁵¹ who had assembled there.⁵² 16:14 A⁵³ woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth⁵⁴ from the city of Thyatira,⁵⁵ a God-fearing woman, listened to us.⁵⁶ The Lord opened her heart to respond⁵⁷ to what Paul was saying. 16:15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us,⁵⁸ “If⁵⁹ you consider me to be a believer in the Lord,⁶⁰ come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded⁶¹ us.

16:16 Now⁶² as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means.⁶³ She⁶⁴ brought her owners⁶⁵ a great profit by fortune-telling.⁶⁶ 16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out,⁶⁷ “These men are servants⁶⁸ of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way⁶⁹ of salvation.”⁷⁰ 16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed,⁷¹ and turned⁷² and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ⁷³ to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once.⁷⁴ 16:19 But when her owners⁷⁵ saw their hope of profit⁷⁶ was gone, they seized⁷⁷ Paul and Silas and dragged⁷⁸ them into the marketplace before the authorities. 16:20 When⁷⁹ they had brought them⁸⁰ before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion.⁸¹ They are⁸² Jews 16:21 and are advocating⁸³ customs that are not lawful for us to accept⁸⁴ or practice,⁸⁵ since we are⁸⁶ Romans.”

16:22 The crowd joined the attack⁸⁷ against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes⁸⁸ off Paul and Silas⁸⁹ and ordered them to be beaten with rods.⁹⁰ 16:23 After they had beaten them severely,⁹¹ they threw them into prison and commanded⁹² the jailer to guard them securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell⁹³ and fastened their feet in the stocks.⁹⁴

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying⁹⁵ and singing hymns to God,⁹⁶ and the rest of⁹⁷ the prisoners were listening to them. 16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds⁹⁸ of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up⁹⁹ and saw the doors of the prison standing open,¹⁰⁰ he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,¹⁰¹ because he assumed¹⁰² the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly,¹⁰³ “Do not harm yourself,¹⁰⁴ for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer¹⁰⁵ rushed in and fell down¹⁰⁶ trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside¹⁰⁷ and asked, “Sirs, what must¹⁰⁸ I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied,¹⁰⁹ “Believe¹¹⁰ in the Lord Jesus¹¹¹ and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then¹¹² they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At¹¹³ that hour of the night he took them¹¹⁴ and washed their wounds;¹¹⁵ then¹¹⁶ he and all his family¹¹⁷ were baptized right away.¹¹⁸ 16:34 The jailer¹¹⁹ brought them into his house and set food¹²⁰ before them; and he rejoiced greatly¹²¹ that he had come to believe¹²² in God, together with his entire household.¹²³ 16:35 At daybreak¹²⁴ the magistrates¹²⁵ sent their police officers,¹²⁶ saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying,¹²⁷ “The magistrates have sent orders¹²⁸ to release you. So come out now and go in peace.”¹²⁹ 16:37 But Paul said to the police officers,¹³⁰ “They had us beaten in public¹³¹ without a proper trial¹³²—even though we are Roman citizens¹³³—and they threw us¹³⁴ in prison. And now they want to send us away¹³⁵ secretly? No way! They¹³⁶ themselves must come and escort us out!”¹³⁷ 16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas¹³⁸ were Roman citizens,¹³⁹ 16:39 and came¹⁴⁰ and apologized to them. After¹⁴¹ they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly¹⁴² to leave the city. 16:40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house; and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then¹⁴³ departed.