Acts 16
16
Timothy Joins Paul in Lystra
1Paul arrived in the city of Derbe and then went to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived. Timothy’s mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was Greek. 2The believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy. 3Paul wanted Timothy to go with him. So he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in those places and because he knew that Timothy’s father was Greek.
4As they went through the cities, they told people about the decisions that the apostles and spiritual leaders #16:4 Or “pastors,” or “elders.” in Jerusalem had made for the people. 5So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew in numbers every day.
Paul Has a Vision
6Paul and Silas went through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit kept them from speaking the word in the province of Asia. 7They went to the province of Mysia and tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t allow this. 8So they passed by Mysia and went to the city of Troas.
9During the night Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia. The man urged Paul, “Come to Macedonia to help us.”
10As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we immediately looked for a way to go to Macedonia. We concluded that God had called us to tell the people of Macedonia about the Good News.
Paul and Silas in Philippi
11So we took a ship from Troas and sailed straight to the island of Samothrace. The next day we sailed to the city of Neapolis, 12and from there we went to the city of Philippi. Philippi is a leading city in that part of Macedonia, and it is a Roman colony. We were in this city for a number of days.
13On the day of rest—a holy day, we went out of the city to a place along the river where we thought Jewish people gathered for prayer. We sat down and began talking to the women who had gathered there. 14A woman named Lydia was present. She was a convert to Judaism from the city of Thyatira and sold purple dye for a living. She was listening because the Lord made her willing to pay attention to what Paul said. 15When Lydia and her family were baptized, she invited us to stay at her home. She said, “If you’re convinced that I believe in the Lord, then stay at my home.” She insisted. So we did.
16One day when we were going to the place of prayer, a female servant met us. She was possessed by an evil spirit that told fortunes. She made a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes. 17She used to follow Paul and shout, “These men are servants of the Most High God. They’re telling you how you can be saved.” 18She kept doing this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned to the evil spirit, and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!”
As Paul said this, the evil spirit left her. 19When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the authorities in the public square. 20In front of the Roman officials, they said, “These men are stirring up a lot of trouble in our city. They’re Jews, 21and they’re advocating customs that we can’t accept or practice as Roman citizens.”
22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered ⌞the guards⌟ to beat them with sticks. 23After they had hit Paul and Silas many times, they threw them in jail and ordered the jailer to keep them under tight security. 24So the jailer followed these orders and put Paul and Silas into solitary confinement with their feet in leg irons.
25Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly, a violent earthquake shook the foundations of the jail. All the doors immediately flew open, and all the prisoners’ chains came loose.
27The jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open. Thinking the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28But Paul shouted as loudly as he could, “Don’t hurt yourself! We’re all here!”
29The jailer asked for torches and rushed into the jail. He was trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas. 30Then he took Paul and Silas outside and asked, “Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved?”
31They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved.” 32They spoke the Lord’s word to the jailer and everyone in his home.
33At that hour of the night, the jailer washed Paul and Silas’ wounds. The jailer and his entire family were baptized immediately. 34He took Paul and Silas upstairs into his home and gave them something to eat. He and his family were thrilled to be believers in God.
35In the morning the Roman officials sent guards who told the jailer, “You can release those men now.”
36The jailer reported this order to Paul by saying, “The officials have sent word to release you. So you can leave peacefully now.”
37But Paul told the guards, “Roman officials have had us beaten publicly without a trial and have thrown us in jail, even though we’re Roman citizens. Now are they going to throw us out secretly? There’s no way they’re going to get away with that! Have them escort us out!”
38The guards reported to the officials what Paul had said. When the Roman officials heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid. 39So the officials went to the jail and apologized to Paul and Silas. As the officials escorted Paul and Silas out of the jail, they asked them to leave the city.
40After Paul and Silas left the jail, they went to Lydia’s house. They met with the believers, encouraged them, and then left.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Acts 16
16
Timothy Goes With Paul and Silas
1Paul went to the city of Derbe and then to Lystra, where a follower of Jesus named Timothy lived. Timothy’s mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. 2The believers in the cities of Lystra and Iconium had only good things to say about him. 3Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him, but all the Jews living in that area knew that his father was a Greek. So Paul circumcised Timothy to please the Jews.
4Then Paul and those with him traveled through other cities. They gave the believers the rules and decisions from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. They told them to obey these rules. 5So the churches were becoming stronger in their faith, and the number of believers was growing every day.
Paul Is Called to Macedonia
6Paul and those with him went through the areas of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit did not allow them to tell the Good News in the province of Asia. 7When they reached the border of Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go there. 8So they passed by Mysia and went to the city of Troas.
9That night Paul saw a vision. In it, a man from Macedonia came to Paul. The man stood there and begged, “Come across to Macedonia and help us.” 10After Paul had seen the vision, we#16:10 we Luke, the writer, apparently went with Paul to Macedonia but did not leave Philippi with him. (See verse 40.) The first person pronoun occurs again in 20:5-21:18 and 27:1-28. immediately prepared to leave for Macedonia. We understood that God had called us to tell the Good News to those people.
The Conversion of Lydia
11We left Troas in a ship and sailed to the island of Samothrace. The next day we sailed to the city of Neapolis. 12Then we went to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there for a few days.
13On the Sabbath day we went out the city gate to the river. There we thought we might find a special place for prayer. Some women had gathered there, so we sat down and talked with them. 14There was a woman there named Lydia from the city of Thyatira. Her job was selling purple cloth. She was a worshiper of the true God. Lydia was listening to Paul, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. 15She and all the people living in her house were baptized. Then she invited us into her home. She said, “If you think I am a true believer in the Lord Jesus, come stay in my house.” She persuaded us to stay with her.
Paul and Silas in Jail
16One day we were going to the place for prayer, and a servant girl met us. She had a spirit#16:16 spirit A spirit from the devil that gave special knowledge. in her that gave her the power to tell what would happen in the future. By doing this she earned a lot of money for the men who owned her. 17She started following Paul and the rest of us around. She kept shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how you can be saved!” 18She continued doing this for many days. This bothered Paul, so he turned and said to the spirit, “By the power of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her!” Immediately, the spirit came out.
19When the men who owned the servant girl saw this, they realized that they could no longer use her to make money. So they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square to meet with the authorities. 20They brought Paul and Silas before the Roman officials and said, “These men are Jews, and they are making trouble in our city. 21They are telling people to do things that are not right for us as Romans to do.”
22The whole crowd turned against Paul and Silas. The officials tore the clothes off both men and ordered that they be beaten with rods. 23They were beaten severely and thrown into jail. The officials told the jailer, “Guard them very carefully!” 24When the jailer heard this special order, he put Paul and Silas far inside the jail and bound their feet between large blocks of wood.
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was an earthquake so strong that it shook the foundation of the jail. All the doors of the jail opened, and the chains on all the prisoners fell off. 27The jailer woke up and saw that the jail doors were open. He thought that the prisoners had already escaped, so he got his sword and was ready to kill himself.#16:27 kill himself He thought the leaders would kill him for letting the prisoners escape. 28But Paul shouted, “Don’t hurt yourself! We are all here!”
29The jailer told someone to bring a light. Then he ran inside and, shaking with fear, fell down in front of Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them outside and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?”
31They said to him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved—you and all who live in your house.” 32So Paul and Silas told the message of the Lord to the jailer and all the people who lived in his house. 33It was late at night, but the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. Then the jailer and all his people were baptized. 34After this the jailer took Paul and Silas home and gave them some food. All the people were very happy because they now believed in God.
35The next morning the Roman officials sent some soldiers to tell the jailer, “Let these men go free.”
36The jailer said to Paul, “The officials have sent these soldiers to let you go free. You can leave now. Go in peace.”
37But Paul said to the soldiers, “Those officials did not prove that we did anything wrong, but they beat us in public and put us in jail. And we are Roman citizens.#16:37 Roman citizens Roman law said that Roman citizens must not be beaten before their trial. Now they want us to go away quietly. No, they must come here themselves and lead us out!”
38The soldiers told the officials what Paul said. When they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid. 39So they came and told them they were sorry. They led them out of the jail and asked them to leave the city. 40But when Paul and Silas came out of the jail, they went to Lydia’s house. They saw some of the believers there and encouraged them. Then they left.
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