‏ Acts 16

1Then he came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain woman who was a Jewess, and believed, but his father [was] a Greek. 2Who was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. 3Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in those quarters: for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep that were ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. 5And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. 6Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia; 7After they had come to Mysia, they essayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8And they, passing by Mysia, came down to Troas. 9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering, that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next [day] to Neapolis; 12And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, [and] a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. 13And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spoke to the women who resorted [thither]. 14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard [us]: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things which were spoken by Paul. 15And when she was baptized, and her household, 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 went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination, met us, who brought her masters much gain by sooth-saying: 17The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who show to us the way of salvation. 18And this she did many days. But Paul being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. 19And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew [them] into the market-place to the rulers, 20And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21And teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 22And the multitude rose together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat [them]. 23And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast [them] into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. 24Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises to God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled. 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas; 30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32And they spoke to him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed [their] stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, without delay. 34And when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. 35And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go. 36And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37But Paul said to them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast [us] into prison; and now do they thrust us out privately? no verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out. 38And the sergeants told these words to the magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romans. 39And they came and besought them, and brought [them] out, and desired [them] to depart out of the city. 40And they went out of the prison, and entered into [the house of] Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
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