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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Ma`asei (Acts) 16
16
1And he came to Derbe and Lustra. And see, a certain taught one was there, named Timotiyos, the son of a certain Yehuḏi woman who believed – but his father was Greek –
2who was well spoken of by the brothers who were at Lustra and Ikonion.
3Sha’ul wished to have this one go with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Yehuḏim who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
4And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the regulations to keep, which were decided by the emissaries and elders at Yerushalayim.
5Then, indeed, the assemblies were strengthened in the belief, and increased in number every day.
6And having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, they were forbidden by the Set-apart Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
7When they came to Musia, they tried to go into Bithunia, but the Spirit did not allow them.
8And having passed by Musia, they came down to Troas.
9And in the night a vision appeared to Sha’ul: A man of Makedonia was standing, begging him and saying, “Come over to Makedonia and help us.”
10And when he saw the vision, immediately we sought to go to Makedonia, concluding that the Master had called us to bring the Good News to them.
11Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrake, and the next day came to Neapolis,
12and from there to Philippi, which is the principal city of that part of Makedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days.
13And on the Sabbath day we went outside the city by a river, where there used to be prayer. And having sat down we were speaking to the women who met there.
14And a certain woman named Ludia,#Most probably a gentile by birth, converted to יהושע. a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, worshipping Elohim, was hearing, whose heart the Master did open to pay attention to what Sha’ul said.
15And when she was immersed, and her household, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be believing in the Master, come to my house and stay.” And she urged us.
16And it came to be, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of Puthon, did meet us, who brought her masters much profit by foretelling.
17Having followed Sha’ul and us, she cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High Elohim, who proclaim to us the way of deliverance.”
18And she was doing this for many days. But Sha’ul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the Name of יהושע Messiah to come out of her.” And it came out that same hour.
19But when her masters saw that their anticipation of money-making was gone, they seized Sha’ul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place to the rulers.
20And having brought them to the captains, they said, “These men, being Yehuḏim, greatly disturb our city,
21and they proclaim practices which are not right for us to receive nor to do, being Romans.”
22And the crowd rose up together against them. And the captains tore off their garments and commanded them to be beaten with rods.
23And having laid many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them safely,
24who, having received such a command, put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25And at midnight Sha’ul and Silas were praying and singing songs to Elohim, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26And suddenly a great earthquake took place, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and all the chains came loose.
27And the jailer, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, thinking the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.
28But Sha’ul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here.”
29And asking for a light, he ran in, and fell down trembling before Sha’ul and Silas.
30And having led them outside he said, “Masters, what do I have to do to be saved?”
31And they said, “Believe on the Master יהושע Messiah, and you shall be saved, you and your household.”
32And they spoke the Word of יהוה to him and to all who were in his house.
33And taking them in that hour of the night, he washed their wounds, and immediately he was immersed, he and all that were his.
34And having brought them into his house, he set food before them. And he rejoiced with all his household, having believed in Elohim.
35And when day came, the authorities sent the officers, saying, “Let these men go.”
36And the jailer reported these words to Sha’ul, saying, “The captains have sent to let you go. Now then, come out and go in peace.”
37But Sha’ul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, being Romans. They have thrown us into prison, and now, do they throw us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and bring us out.”
38And the officers reported these words to the authorities, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.
39And having come, they pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to leave the city.
40So coming out of the prison they went to Ludia, and seeing the brothers, they encouraged them, and went forth.
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