Acts 16
16
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
1Paul came to Derbe. Then he went on to Lystra. A believer named Timothy lived there. His mother was Jewish and a believer. His father was a Greek. 2The believers at Lystra and Iconium said good things about Timothy. 3Paul wanted to take him along on the journey. So he circumcised Timothy because of the Jews who lived in that area. They all knew that Timothy’s father was a Greek. 4Paul and his companions traveled from town to town. They reported what the apostles and elders in Jerusalem had decided. The people were supposed to obey what was in the report. 5So the churches were made strong in the faith. The number of believers grew every day.
Paul’s Vision of the Man From Macedonia
6Paul and his companions traveled all through the area of Phrygia and Galatia. The Holy Spirit had kept them from preaching the word in Asia Minor. 7They came to the border of Mysia. From there they tried to enter Bithynia. But the Spirit of Jesus would not let them. 8So they passed by Mysia. Then they went down to Troas. 9During the night Paul had a vision. He saw a man from Macedonia standing and begging him. “Come over to Macedonia!” the man said. “Help us!” 10After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia. We decided that God had called us to preach the good news there.
Lydia Becomes a Believer in Philippi
11At Troas we got into a boat. We sailed straight for Samothrace. The next day we went on to Neapolis. 12From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony. It is an important city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there several days.
13On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate. We walked down to the river. There we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered together. 14One of the women listening was from the city of Thyatira. Her name was Lydia, and her business was selling purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to accept Paul’s message. 15She and her family were baptized. Then she invited us to her home. “Do you consider me a believer in the Lord?” she asked. “If you do, come and stay at my house.” She succeeded in getting us to go home with her.
Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison
16One day we were going to the place of prayer. On the way we were met by a female slave. She had a spirit that helped her tell people what was going to happen. She earned a lot of money for her owners by doing this. 17She followed Paul and the rest of us around. She shouted, “These men serve the Most High God. They are telling you how to be saved.” 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became upset. Turning around, he spoke to the spirit that was in her. “In the name of Jesus Christ,” he said, “I command you to come out of her!” At that very moment the spirit left the woman.
19Her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone. So they grabbed Paul and Silas. They dragged them into the market place to face the authorities. 20They brought them to the judges. “These men are Jews,” her owners said. “They are making trouble in our city. 21They are suggesting practices that are against Roman law. These are practices we can’t accept or take part in.”
22The crowd joined the attack against Paul and Silas. The judges ordered that Paul and Silas be stripped and beaten with rods. 23They were whipped without mercy. Then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24When he received these orders, he put Paul and Silas deep inside the prison. He fastened their feet so they couldn’t get away.
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying. They were also singing hymns to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was a powerful earthquake. It shook the prison from top to bottom. All at once the prison doors flew open. Everyone’s chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up. He saw that the prison doors were open. He pulled out his sword and was going to kill himself. He thought the prisoners had escaped. 28“Don’t harm yourself!” Paul shouted. “We are all here!”
29The jailer called out for some lights. He rushed in, shaking with fear. He fell down in front of Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them out. He asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus. Then you and everyone living in your house will be saved.” 32They spoke the word of the Lord to him. They also spoke to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night, the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. Right away he and everyone who lived with him were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house. He set a meal in front of them. He and everyone who lived with him were filled with joy. They had become believers in God.
35Early in the morning the judges sent their officers to the jailer. They ordered him, “Let those men go.” 36The jailer told Paul, “The judges have ordered me to set you and Silas free. You can leave now. Go in peace.”
37But Paul replied to the officers. “They beat us in public,” he said. “We weren’t given a trial. And we are Roman citizens! They threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and personally lead us out.”
38The officers reported this to the judges. When the judges heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they became afraid. 39So they came and said they were sorry. They led them out of the prison. Then they asked them to leave the city. 40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house. There they met with the brothers and sisters. They told them to be brave. Then they left.
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Acts 16: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Acts 16
16
1And he came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, by name Timotheus, son of a Jewish believing woman, but the father a Greek, 2who had a good testimony of the brethren in Lystra and Iconium. 3Him would Paul have go forth with him, and took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew his father that he was a Greek. 4And as they passed through the cities they instructed them to observe the decrees determined on by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5The assemblies therefore were confirmed in the faith, and increased in number every day.
6And having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia, 7having come down to Mysia, they attempted to go to Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8and having passed by Mysia they descended to Troas. 9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a certain Macedonian man, standing and beseeching him, and saying, Pass over into Macedonia and help us. 10And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go forth to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to announce to them the glad tidings. 11Having sailed therefore away from Troas, we went in a straight course to Samothracia, and on the morrow to Neapolis, 12and thence to Philippi, which is the first city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city certain days. 13And on the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where it was the custom for prayer to be, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had assembled. 14And a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard; whose heart the Lord opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul. 15And when she had been baptised and her house, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us.
16And it came to pass as we were going to prayer that a certain female slave, having a spirit of Python, met us, who brought much profit to her masters by prophesying. 17She, having followed Paul and us, cried saying, These men are bondmen of the Most High God, who announce to you the way of salvation. 18And this she did many days. And Paul, being distressed, turned, and said to the spirit, I enjoin thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out the same hour. 19And her masters, seeing that the hope of their gains was gone, having seized Paul and Silas, dragged them into the market before the magistrates; 20and having brought them up to the praetors, said, These men utterly trouble our city, being Jews, 21and announce customs which it is not lawful for us to receive nor practise, being Romans. 22And the crowd rose up too against them; and the praetors, having torn off their clothes, commanded to scourge them. 23And having laid many stripes upon them they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely; 24who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and secured their feet to the stocks.
25And at midnight Paul and Silas, in praying, were praising God with singing, and the prisoners listened to them. 26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison shook, and all the doors were immediately opened, and the bonds of all loosed. 27And the jailor being awakened out of his sleep, and seeing the doors of the prison opened, having drawn a sword was going to kill himself, thinking the prisoners had fled. 28But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here. 29And having asked for lights, he rushed in, and, trembling, fell down before Paul and Silas. 30And leading them out said, Sirs, what must I do that I may be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. 32And they spoke to him the word of the Lord, with all that were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night and washed them from their stripes; and was baptised, he and all his straightway. 34And having brought them into his house he laid the table for them, and rejoiced with all his house, having believed in God.
35And when it was day, the praetors sent the lictors, saying, Let those men go. 36And the jailor reported these words to Paul: The praetors have sent that ye may be let go. Now therefore go out and depart in peace. 37But Paul said to them, Having beaten us publicly uncondemned, us who are Romans, they have cast us into prison, and now they thrust us out secretly? no, indeed, but let them come themselves and bring us out. 38And the lictors reported these words to the praetors. And they were afraid when they heard they were Romans. 39And they came and besought them, and having brought them out, asked them to go out of the city. 40And having gone out of the prison, they came to Lydia; and having seen the brethren, they exhorted them and went away.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.